Luke Bryan‘s debut single, “All My Friends Say,” came out in 2007, two years after “Hicktown,” Jason Aldean‘s first single. Both Bryan and Aldean have had more than 30 No.1 singles. They also happen to be close friends, who co-headlined their Double Down Tour this year.
Fortunately, although Bryan and Aldean might joke about who is more successful, it’s all in good fun.
“People ask us about that,” Bryan says on Country Countdown USA, speaking of competition between the two. “We came up the same way. We were on tour together, and he was awarded two Diamond Awards. The fact that we can celebrate accolades with each other like that, we enjoy it together.”
Bryan was also recently given two Diamond Awards, for “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and “Play It Again.” A Diamond Award, a rarity in country music, is given for sales in excess of ten million units.
Bryan and Aldean have more in common than just their shared country music careers. They are both big fans of Alabama. Both Bryan and Aldean recently performed at the Randy Owen Center for Performing Arts at Jacksonville State University.
“Jason and I, the group Alabama is on our Mt. Rushmore of country music” Bryan says. “When I saw Randy’s face light up that we were there, that’s the part of this you don’t know is going to happen. If we can do it, we do it.”
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Luke Bryan Returns to ‘American Idol’
Bryan recently announced that he is returning to American Idol for another year, joined by fellow judges Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood, along with host Ryan Seacrest.
“It’ll be 25 total years for Idol, and my tenth year,” Bryan says. “Just honored to have done ten years. It’s an honor to get to do. It’s a family show, alot of wonderful memories during the past ten years. I expect there will be a lot of nostalgic moments, and I’ll get to see how I’ve aged over the last ten years.”
Bryan may have never agreed to even do American Idol, if not for Blake Shelton. Shelton spent 23 seasons as a coach on The Voice, encouraging Bryan to take the role of a judge on Idol when it was offered to him.
“We’ve talked about our careers in those roles,” Bryan previously said on Country Countdown USA. “Blake was a big reason why I decided to do American Idol. … I thank him for paving the way for there to be a voice of country music on TV like that.”
Bryan currently has a Top 5 hit with “Country And She Knows It,’ while Aldean is in the Top 20 with “Anytime Soon.” The two have one more date on their Double Down Tour, which takes place on December 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.