Two weeks after her father died unexpectedly, singer Lauren Alaina thanked everyone who has supported her through such a difficult time, including Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany.
Alaina, 29, and Aldean, 47, were on tour together at the time of J.J. Suddeth’s death, forcing Alaina to cancel shows in Savannah, Virginia Beach and Charlotte to be with her family.
“Thank you. I can’t think of much else to say right now other than thank you,” Alaina wrote via an Instagram post published Wednesday, August 7. “Thank you to everyone who has checked on me and continued to show up for me. Thank you to @jasonaldean and @brittanyaldean and your team for treating me like family. Thank you to my husband for being the arms that are holding me together all day and all night long.”
She also thanked her brother and sister for the comfort they provided as they all navigated a difficult period together.
“Thank you to my brother and sister and their beautiful babies for the FaceTimes at all times of the day to make me smile or bring me comfort in any way you can,” she continued. “Thank you to my momma and bonus dad for coming out on the road with me. Thank you to my team for giving me a loving environment on the road. Most of all thank you Jesus for the unconditional love and strength from the Kingdom of God surrounding all of us right now as we navigate this pain and sorrow.”
Alaina indicated she will be back on the road this weekend, concluding with, “See you this weekend IN, OH, PA 🤍.”
Suddeth’s death comes six years after Alaina lost her stepfather to lung cancer. When Sam Ranker died in 2018, Alaina posted a tribute to him on Instagram, writing, “My stepdad, Sam … was the purest example of how to love and live life fully. His last few hours were some of the most amazing moments I know I will ever have the privilege of witnessing.”
She continued: “We are only here for a short amount of time, and we have to live like there is no tomorrow. I want us to all be a little more like Sam. He was strong. He was the most compassionate person in the world. He would go without to help a stranger. He was a great dad.”
With shows coming up this weekend, the former American Idol runner-up also announced a new project with country singer Corey Kent. Hours after her post went out thanking Aldean and her family, Alaina posted a video of her and Kent in the studio together.
“I’m so honored that @coreykent asked me to feature on ‘Now or Never,’ dropping 8/16!” she wrote. He’s the real deal, y’all! I can’t wait for y’all to hear it!”
