Lady Antebellum Sing For Their Friend Luke Bryan At ‘Artist Of The Year’ [VIDEO]

Luke Bryan was scheduled to appear Tuesday Night at CMT's "Artist Of The Year" event in Nashville, but had to cancel his appearance following the sudden death of his brother-in-law over the Thanksgiving weekend. While Bryan was understandably not in attendance, he was certainly on everybody’s mind.

Bryan's good friends, the three members of Lady Antebellum (Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott) and songwriter Chris Stapleton perched themselves on four stools, took out their guitars and performed in Bryan’s stead and in his honor.

Kelley continued, “So, tonight we wanted to perform a song that’s very special to Luke with another of his good buddies that co-wrote the song. One of the best singers in the entire universe, Mr. Chris Stapleton right here. This song is called ‘Drink a Beer,’ and if you’re watching tonight back home, this one’s for you, Luke, and your family. We love you so much and our thoughts are with you.”

The performance proved to be the most emotional moments of the night, with fellow honorees Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban quietly singing along in the audience.

[cmt.com]