Thomas Rhett’s Wife, Lauren, Recalls His Early Days in Music at the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year Ceremony
Thomas Rhett performed his new song, "Dream You Never Had," during the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year Ceremony on Wednesday (Oct. 16). The song addresses his wife Lauren, thanking her for supporting his dream of becoming a musician, despite the grueling tour schedule that comes along with it.
It seemed only fitting that Lauren herself was on hand to introduce the song. Before Rhett's performance, Lauren reminisced about the early days of his career and offered her own perspective on being the partner of somebody who spends so much of his life on the road.
"Being married to a musician can be tough," Lauren said. "When Thomas Rhett started out, I remember sharing a bunk with him on the tour bus, and let me tell you, it is a tight squeeze on those bunks. But it might not have been that bad, except for there were some other guys on the bus, too!"
Light-hearted inconveniences aside, she admitted that Rhett's schedule can be a challenge, especially since the couple have two young children, with one on the way. Still, she added, the songs that he writes about her and their family help keep them together, even when they are geographically far apart.
"Spending 180 nights on the road, he's away a lot. But even when we aren't there with him, he kept his family in his heart and in his music," she continued. "Now we're walking red carpets together and coming to nights like this. I wouldn't change anything, because my husband gets to do something that very few people can: Live his dream, follow his passion and do the thing that I know God created him to do."
No song exemplifies Rhett's commitment to his passion -- and his family -- better than "Dream You Never Had," Lauren added. "The song that he's gonna play for you right now shows that he knows how much sacrifice goes into this. And I think it's something that resonates with everybody who supports the ones that they love," she said.
After Rhett's performance, Lauren gave him his Artist of the Year trophy -- the first time she'd ever presented an award to anyone, she revealed -- as part of the special night. Rhett was honored alongside Kane Brown, Dan + Shay, Luke Combs and Carrie Underwood. Reba McEntire was presented with the title of Artist of a Lifetime, while Ashley McBryde was named Breakout Artist of the Year.
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