Lauren Alaina Finds Strength in Faith, Family, Friends, and Fans Following Father’s Sudden Passing
The country star gave a special shoutout to her tour mate, Jason Aldean, for providing her with support amid this difficult time.
Photo Courtesy Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina has returned to the stage nearly two weeks after the sudden passing of her father, J.J. Suddeth. She spent the weekend performing as a supporting act on Jason Aldean’s Highway Desperado Tour. Following these shows, the American Idol alum took to social media to document many of the special moments and people who have shown her support her in this difficult time.
She began the post by acknowledging that the most important message for her to get across at the moment is that she is filled with gratitude from the outpouring of love she has received not only from friends and family, but also fans as well as her tourmate, Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany.
“Thank you. I can’t think of much else to say right now other than thank you. Thank you to everyone who has checked on me and continued to show up for me. Thank you to @jasonaldean and @brittanyaldean and your team for treating me like family. Thank you to my husband for being the arms that are holding me together all day and all night long.”
Leaning On Faith And Family
There’s no doubt that Alaina showed tremendous bravery this weekend as she put her best foot forward and lit up the stage with her bubbly personality and heartfelt tunes that continue to touch the hearts of fans all over the world. Luckily, she had plenty of people cheering her on, both in person and virtually, in addition to her faith, which also helped in guiding her through these performances.
She continued, “Thank you to my brother and sister and their beautiful babies for the FaceTimes at all times of the day to make me smile or bring me comfort in any way you can. Thank you to my momma and bonus dad for coming out on the road with me. Thank you to my team for giving me a loving environment on the road. Most of all thank you Jesus for the unconditional love and strength from the Kingdom of God surrounding all of us right now as we navigate this pain and sorrow.”
The heartfelt words within the post were accompanied by a carousel of photos showcasing Alaina reconnecting with her bandmates and fans who made their support clear from the audience through posters, along with backstage moments with Aldean and her husband, Cam Arnold.
Sharing The News With Fans
Alaina shared the devastating news of her father’s passing on the morning of Wednesday, July 24, 2024. At the time, she also let fans know that she would be taking some time off to mourn with her family.
“We lost my daddy last night, and I really have no words yet,” Alaina began in her statement. “I am going home to be with my family. Thank you for your prayers and understanding.”
The cause of her father’s death is unknown; however, it seems to have been sudden and unexpected.
Alaina’s Father, J.J. Suddeth, Acted As Her Muse
There’s no doubt that Alaina and her father, a veteran of the U.S. Army, had built an incredibly strong bond. While their relationship had its fair share of ups and downs, the last few years brought them together to celebrate each other on many occasions. He even acted as her muse for songs like “Doin’ Fine” and “My Old Man,” an unreleased tune that Alaina penned especially for their daddy/daughter dance at her wedding that took place on February 4, 2024.
“I wrote this song for my daddy for our daddy/daughter dance. It was such a special moment during our wedding. I will truly never forget it,” Alaina wrote in a post at a time, that also featured a video of with snippets of her special day.
The Georgia native is set to continue on the road this coming weekend with shows in Indiana on August 8, Ohio on August 9 and Pennsylvania on August 10.
Written by
Madeleine O’Connell
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.