Country star Luke Bryan will not be performing at Tuesday night’s (Dec. 2) CMT Artists of the Year event due to the death of his brother-in-law, Ben Lee Cheshire, over the weekend. According to People, Bryan will stay with his family in Georgia.
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Chesire was married to Bryan’s sister, Kelly, who died in 2007 at age 39. Bryan’s brother was killed in a car accident more than a decade ago.
The Artist of the Year award will still be presented even though the star will be absent. A CMT rep told People, “We are going to honor Luke in absentia and will recognize him in only the best way we know how — out of respect for him and his family.”
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The Artists of the Year special will be broadcast live Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on CMT.