Luke Bryan stopped the music, turned and raised a beer toward an image of Marcus Wade, the 46-year-old crew member who was killed in a motorcycle accident earlier this month.
The poignant moment brought fans at his show in Louisville, Ky., to their feet. For 35 seconds Bryan kept his acoustic guitar quiet and said nothing to allow time for Wade to be recognized. A sign on the big screen showed a photo of the Tennessee native, referring to him as a “longtime roadie and Luke Bryan body double.”
WKRN reports that Wade was killed on Feb. 9 at about 3PM in a single-vehicle crash. His motorcycle was taking a curve and ran off the left side of the road, which is when he crashed into an embankment. He leaves behind a wife named Lori. Rare Country says that in addition to working several tours for Bryan, Wade worked for Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Toby Keith and more.
“Drink a Beer” is a song Bryan has frequently dedicated to those no longer with us. At the time of its release the singer connected the song to the death of his own siblings, who died in 1996 and 2007.
After Wade’s death, but before the Feb. 18 show in Louisville, friends and people who’d worked with Wade began to share memories on social media. The moment is a reminder of how many people are committed to major country music tours and how often stars like Bryan will form a relationship with all of them.
Bryan’s What Makes You Country Tour continues this week in State College, Pa.
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