Ashley Cooke shared a full-circle moment with Luke Bryan on Thursday evening (Aug. 18) at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre.
The fast-rising country star, who served as support on Bryan’s Raised On Right Tour date in Birmingham, Alabama, returned to the stage to join Bryan during his headlining set to perform a cover of “Home Alone Tonight,” a duet that originally features Bryan and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. Co-written by Tommy Cecil, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer and Jody Stevens, “Home Alone Tonight” appears on Luke Bryan’s fifth studio album, Kill The Lights.
Cooke took to social media after the show in disbelief as well as to share a clip of their performance together.
“One of those moments 15-year-old ash wouldn’t believe,” Cooke wrote. “Thanks for havin’ me out with you, @lukebryan 🍻”
In the clip, Cooke is seen entering the stage to perform the duet with Bryan, which she dubbed a bucket list moment and a dream come true.
“The amazingly talented, Ms. Ashley Cooke,” Bryan said, introducing the viral hitmaker to the stage before joking, “shot for shot,” referencing “Home Alone Tonight” song lyrics.
The pair then performed the chart-topping tune together and flawlessly blended their vocals during the mesmerizing performance.
Prior to taking the stage, Cooke reflected on the moment she fell in love with country music at a Luke Bryan concert just over 10 years ago.
On August 11, 2012, Cooke moved to Florida and attended her first concert at West Palm Amphitheater, which just so happened to be a Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean co-headliner.
“It down poured rained and I straight up fell in love with country music because of Luke Bryan and that show,” Cooke said. “Came home and wouldn’t shut up about it for weeks, modeled so much of my performing love after him and that night.”
Fast-forward “10 years and a week to the day” and Cooke got to share a full-circle moment as she opened for the “Country On” singer on August 18, 2022.
What a cool moment! See you today, Birmingham 🍻 @lukebryan pic.twitter.com/qbxsbeiF2N
— Ashley Cooke (@theashleycooke) August 18, 2022
She also shared a clip to TikTok while on the way to Oak Mountain Amphitheatre. In the video, Cooke realizes that she is getting to open for one of her country music inspirations.
“When it hits you that you’re on your way to open for Luke Bryan…” Cooke captioned the clip, which was soundtracked by Bryan’s “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”
@theashleycooke see you soon, birmingham 🍻 #lukebryanconcert #nevertilnow #whenithitsyou #slowzoom
Cooke recently signed with Big Loud Records and kicked off a new era of her musical journey with the release of her single “Getting Into.” The tune marks Cooke’s first new music since the release of her current single at Country radio, “Never ‘Til Now,” a duet that features country superstar Brett Young.
Co-written by Cooke alongside Emily Weisband and Will Weatherly, “Getting Into” details everything her future lover should know before taking the step in their relationship.
“’Getting Into’ serves as my roadmap of all the twists and turns of who I am,” Cooke shared of the tune. “It’s a fun disclaimer to whoever that future someone is and lets them know what they’re signing up for – the good, the bad, and everything in between. It’s been wild to see so many people relating to it and knowing every word already – I’m so pumped for everyone to finally have it!”
Meanwhile, Luke Bryan recently released his latest single “Country On,” which was the most-added song at country radio upon its release. According to Country Aircheck, 91 country radio stations added the song to rotation on its official impact date.
Co-written by Mark Nesler, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby, and Styles Haury, and co-produced by Jeff Stevens and Jody Stevens, the song shouts out farmworkers, truckers, first responders, soldiers and more and encourages those perseverant individuals to “Country On,” or in other words, keep going.
“Hey fireman, boys and girls in blue/ We could sure use a lot more like you/ You come runnin’ in anytime, anything goes wrong/ Country on/ Hey soldier, wherever you might bе / Hats off to keepin’ us free/ All our thoughts and prayers ’til you get back home/ Country on,” he sings while Sarah Buxton provides background vocals.
Additionally, Bryan is currently in the midst of his Raised Up Right Tour, which kicked off on June 9 in Charleston, West Virginia.
The trek also features support from Riley Green and Mitchell Tenpenny and continues through October 28, where it will wrap up in Jacksonville, Florida. Tickets for Luke Bryan’s Raised Up Right Tour can be found HERE.
“My favorite place to be is on stage performing to country music fans,” Bryan previously shared. “So thankful every night when I walk out on that stage and know you are there to have a blast along beside me. It never gets old!”
Cooke’s next schedule tour date is August 21 at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, IL and Bryan’s will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana at Ruoff Music Center on Saturday, August 20.
