Luke Bryan has finally revealed the reason behind his extended absence from the stage after he was forced to cancel several shows last month due to a "continued illness".
The country music star admitted he is still not back to full health during a performance in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday, but his explanation didn't go down well with fans.
Health update
Luke revealed in a fan video shared on TikTok that he has been battling COVID-19, and his admission received a chorus of boos from the crowd.
"Three weeks ago, I got COVID," Luke said. "You can boo that [expletive] all you want, but I got it."
He continued: "I had to cancel some shows, and now I'm back. But I'm not 100% cause it's still kicking my [expletive]."
Calling on help from the crowd, Luke said: "So when I can sing, I'm gonna sing and when I can't, ya'll are gonna sing."
He added: "You're gonna see me hack. I can't take any more medicine; I can't do anything else but just try to breathe. Anyway, we're gonna have fun tonight, we're gonna make the most of it."
Luke was forced to reschedule shows in Dallas and Lafayette for September after he suffered vocal issues during a show in Rogers, Arkansas, on June 19.
"This is the weirdest thing I've ever dealt with in my life," he said in a fan-captured video. "I cannot have my voice in this venue for some reason. It happens every time, I don't know why."
Luke then announced that he would be refunding everyone's tickets. "I don't give a damn, I'm gonna refund everybody their tickets tonight and we're going to keep doing the damn show, okay?" he told the crowd.
He then pulled out of headlining Country Stampede in Kansas, on June 26, NebraskaLand Days in Nebraska on June 27, and Country Jam in Colorado on June 28.
Breaking the news on social media, Luke penned: "I'm really sorry to say I won't be able to play this weekend's shows due to continued illness."
He continued: "I've been hoping to rally, but my voice is just not there yet. Huge thanks to my buddy @ericchurch for stepping in last minute — and of course, putting on a kick ass show like he always does."
Luke added: "Sitting still is not what I do best so I can't wait to be back soon."
However, the stage wasn't empty as country star Eric Church stepped in as Luke's replacement at all three shows.
Breaking his silence, Eric shared a message of support while revealing he would headline with Joanna Cotton for "something unique".
"Festivals are part of the fabric of what made us who we are," he said. "Happy to fill in for Luke while he's on the mend. Not a lot of time to plan or get the whole crew together, so I'm bringing Jo and we're gonna do something unique and spontaneous."