When Colby Swift, a 19-year-old country singer, hit the stage, it was a fairly extraordinary American Idol moment.
Colby had never performed in front of a large crowd and had never taken a single singing lesson. In fact, he claimed to have never visited outside of his native state of Texas! Nevertheless, his interpretation of Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” wowed the judges.
Following his performance, judge and country superstar Luke Bryan felt a connection with the young cowboy.
Then something really unexpected occurred. Luke requested that Colby elevate his feet and show him the bottoms of his shoes. They were frayed, ripped, and worn out… the holes went all the way through! “What size shoe do you wear, Colby?” he inquired.
Luke is well-known for being a kind man in general. Kelly, Luke’s sister, died in 2007 from unexplained reasons while at home with her then-toddler son. Ben, her spouse, raised their three children. Ben, unfortunately, died unexpectedly in 2014. Luke and his wife Caroline instantly chose to adopt all three of the kids.
So it was no wonder when Luke surprised Colby with an act of generosity that brought the crowd to tears.
