Luke Bryan Talks Clint Black’s Influence and His Goal To Stay in the Game Like George Strait

Before Luke Bryan became a country music superstar with 31 No.1 hits, he was just a country-loving boy from Georgia, spending hours in his bedroom playing ‘80s and ‘90s country music on repeat. 

According to Bryan, the song that truly made him fall in love with country music was Clint Black’s 1989 chart-topper, “Killin’ Time.”   

During a recent interview with Bobby Bones on The BobbyCast, Bryan recalled the countless hours he spent listening to Clint Black on repeat. 

“When ‘Killin’ Time’ came out, and then just that album… I went and bought that album. I had a CD player and these huge speakers and I’d just sit there and listen to it every day. Every day I would dedicate [to listening to] that album and just sitting there and listen to it and thumbing through Bassmaster magazines or whatever,” Bryan shared. “But that was a big one for me.” 

The now five-time Entertainer of the Year admitted to being “so into” Top 40 country at the time and also recalled listening to Conway Twitty, Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, and more and how they shaped him as an artist. 

While in college, Bryan listened to artists like Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney—both of whom he would later tour with, bringing his musical journey full circle.

When I think about college, and I think about what really shaped me, it was Tim McGraw, ‘Where The Green Grass Grows’ and it was Kenny Chesney ‘Back Where I Come From,’ and that’s what we were jamming and that’s what I was covering in my cover band.

Another country star who impacted Bryan was George Strait. 

“I mean the George Strait song that really probably hit me the most was ‘Run,’” he said. “[He] drops ‘Run,’ and then he drops ‘Give It Away’ And those are giant.” 

Luke Bryan said that at 48, his goal is to create a song that can compete with the new wave of artists—just like George Strait did at 52 with ‘Give It Away,’ which dominated country radio at the time. 

“Like if I’m 48 and if I can figure out a song that at the end of the year through all the new artists coming out… George dropped two at 52 years old that still slayed the country music market. I mean when he put out ‘Give It Away,’ he owned the radio with that song and he talked in that song,” Bryan pointed out. “So that’s my job to try to attempt to do at the age of 48, in my opinion, if I’m going to stay in the game.” 

Luke Bryan continues to “stay in the game” thanks to hits like his latest single, “Country Song Came On.” Written by Ryan Beaver, Dan Alley, and Neil Medley, Bryan said he immediately connected with the track because it reminded him of his early days playing music.

“’Country song came on’ is like a honky tonk gem for me,” he previously explained. “When I heard it, I was like, you know, it brings me back to the days when I was playing a lot of honky tonks early in my career.”

While he’s no longer playing honky tonks, Bryan continues to sell out massive tours. His upcoming summer trek, the Country Song Came On Tour, launches on May 29 and runs through August 30.