Luke Bryan hopes that by sharing the ups and downs of his personal life, he can be an inspiration for others. The “Strip It Down” singer doesn’t shy away from conversations about his wife, kids or the kids he took in when his brother-in-law died last November. He even talks openly about the tragedies that still haunt his family.

The reason the singer is so open is he wants his fans to know they’re not alone. “I think a little transparency is good for fans,” Bryan tells Rolling Stone Country. “If they can understand they’re not alone in challenges, and if I can smile through it, maybe they can.”

Every moment of the country star's private life is on display in the age of phones with cameras. He has no choice but to embrace transparency, he says. Bryan’s fans know his wife and kids’ names and faces. They also know he’ll rarely turn down a request for a photo or autograph, as long as it’s appropriate. During a recent conversation with Taste of Country Bryan talked about how lines outside bathrooms he visits aren’t uncommon. But he takes it all in stride, never complaining about a fact of life others may call a burden.

Since the release of his Kill the Lights album, Bryan has been talking quite a bit about his family. Last month he told People how his nephew, Til, has become an older brother to his two sons with Caroline. “I think with everything that’s happened in my family, I just have to lean on my faith and the understanding that God has a plan for all of us,” he says. “We just wake up every day and do our best. I’ll get down in the dumps, and then I’ll meet a Make-a-Wish kid, and I’ll ask myself, ‘What are you complaining about? You just have to keep your faith strong and rock on.’”

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