Luke Bryan revealed that he enlisted the help of his friend and fellow country music sensation, Brad Paisley, to pull off some playful pranks on “American Idol” contestants during their auditions.
During his appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” with his fellow judges, Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie, Bryan spilled all the hilarious behind-the-scenes details on the hijinks.
Watch the Judges Trio on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’
“So, Brad Paisley is in the first episode of this season,” Kimmel began. “And Brad is a very funny guy. Luke, would you like to explain what’s happening here?”
“We kind of conspired a little bit, and I put an ear piece in, they thought I was in the bathroom for an incredibly long amount of time while I was putting the ear piece in. And then, Brad is feeding me lines in my ear,” Bryan answered.
“You’ve agreed to say whatever Brad tells you to say?” Kimmel asked in disbelief.
Luke replied, “yeah, and at one point Brad had told me to say that I didn’t like the state of Michigan…”
Watch the full interview above from “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to see a clip from the “American Idol” Season 24 premiere, where Bryan takes cues from Paisley backstage while a contestant auditions.
Bryan & Paisley Over the Years
GettyDuring the “ACM Presents: Our Country” television special in April 2020, Bryan, Paisley, and Darius Rucker teamed up virtually to pay tribute to the late country legend Kenny Rogers, with each of them covering one of his classic songs in the medley, including “Lucille,” “The Gambler,” and “Coward of the Country.”
Bryan and Paisley both performed at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Inductions on November 7. They were among the stars who honored the Class of 2020, including Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G. and T. Rex.
The two were also among the country stars featured on the “Celebrity Mix” version of Blake Shelton’s hit “Boys ‘Round Here,” released in 2013. This star-studded remix also included performances by Jason Aldean, Ronnie Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Josh Turner, and Keith Urban.
They both contributed to “Forever Country” in 2016, the multi-artist song created to celebrate the 50th annual CMA Awards. The track features 30 of the biggest names in country music’s present and past.
Beyond the stage, Bryan and Paisley have been part the same charity organizations or events like MusiCares Foundation, the Recording Academy’s non-profit organization that helps musicians in need. In 2020, Paisley led the “Quarantine All-Stars” to benefit the foundation, a project that featured an introduction from Bryan.
