On November 6, 2013, Luke Bryan performed “Drink a Beer” at the CMA Awards in memory of his brother Chris and sister Kelly. Chris Stapleton, who had written the song with Jim Beavers, joined him. By the end of the performance, a photograph behind Bryan would make the dedication visible.
Bryan had not written the song, and its writers had not created it specifically for him. Yet a song written by two other men had given Bryan a way to acknowledge two people from his own family.
How the Song Became a Story About Loss
In a 2015 interview with The Boot, Stapleton explained that Beavers had brought essentially the entire chorus into their writing session. The title, taken alone, could have suggested something lighthearted. As they developed the song, it became a story about someone coping with a death.
Stapleton recalled that making it darker, and specifically about someone who had passed away, was probably his idea. He described helping Beavers finish the song. At that point, they thought they had written a good song, without knowing what Bryan would eventually bring to it.
What Stapleton did make clear was the importance of Bryan recording it. He credited Bryan’s family circumstances with giving the song additional weight. The writers had created the story; Bryan brought his own connection to it.
A Dedication Announced Before the Broadcast
Bryan’s brother Chris died in 1996. His sister Kelly died in 2007. Before the CMA broadcast, an announcement on Bryan’s official website confirmed that he would dedicate the performance to both siblings.
“It holds a special place in my heart,” Bryan said in that announcement. He also expressed gratitude to the writers for allowing him to record it.
Stapleton had sung background vocals on the studio recording, which appeared on Bryan’s 2013 album, Crash My Party. His appearance at the awards brought one of the song’s writers into the live performance alongside the artist who had made it personal.
For the performance, Bryan sat on a bar stool wearing a T-shirt and jeans, with musicians around him. Contemporary coverage described him singing with his eyes closed through much of the song.
At the end, the photograph of Chris and Kelly appeared behind him. Bryan turned to look at it, reached for the beer beside his stool, and raised the can in their memory.