Heavy/Getty Luke Bryan performing in Ontario on June 17, 2023
Country superstar Luke Bryan surprised one lucky fan — and thousands of concert-goers — with a tear-filled reunion during his concert in Darien Center, New York, on June 16, 2023. The “American Idol” judge invited Shannon Dorvee, a devoted fan who had front row tickets and a shirt that read #LukeSquad, onto the stage to help him sing his patriotic hit, “Country On.”
What she didn’t realize was that she was about to be reunited with her husband, a longtime soldier in the U.S. Army who’d been deployed overseas for over a year. Here’s what you need to know:
Luke Bryan Pulled Off Perfect Surprise for Army Wife
The day after the Dorvees’ unforgettable reunion during Bryan’s second concert at the Darien Lake Amphitheater, the star posted a video of the special moment and wrote, “Glad to be part of this reunion. #CountryOn”
In that video, which was filmed by someone onstage, Bryan could be seen pointing to Shannon in the audience before singing “Country On,” a song that became his 30th Number One hit in December 2022, according to his record label, UMG Nashville.
From the stage, Bryan said to her, “Shannon! You’re Shannon, right? You’re Shannon?”
Then, turning to the crowd, he said, “So, Shannon’s husband has been fighting overseas for a couple of years and I want to get her to help me. Come up here with me right now! Yeah, come here!”
Clearly stunned but smiling widely, she began climbing over a barricade and the camera crew then showed her husband standing in his uniform backstage. As she approached Bryan on stage, he began playing “Country On” and singing the first line of the chorus as the crowd joined in.
“I said, hey, hey, U.S.A.,” he sang before giving Shannon a hug. He continued to sing and she raised her arms in the air. Then, the crowd went wild as they noticed her husband walking out on stage. When Shannon turned around, she instantly burst into tears. The couple embraced for a long time, looked at each other and then hugged again as the audience continued to cheer. Bryan could be seen taking a deep breath, touched by the special moment. His wife, Caroline Boyer Bryan, wrote in the comments, “Damn! 🙌🙌🙌”
In another video of the reunion shared on TikTok and Instagram by local radio DJ Kadie Daye of 106.5 WYRK, Bryan could be heard saying, “Give it up for Jeff right here! Jeff Dorvee, ladies and gentlemen! He just got to surprise his girl tonight!” As the couple walked off the stage, the crowd erupted into a chant of “USA! USA!”
Shannon commented on Daye’s Instagram post, “This is awesome thank you for making this !! We truly appreciate all the love & support for our family 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙 I love this video so much again thank you ❤️”
Shannon Dorvee Kept a Social Media Tally of the Days Her Husband Was Deployed
The day after reuniting with her husband at Bryan’s concert, Shannon posted an Instagram photo of them with their two young sons in the car and wrote, “Reunited and it feels so good ❤️🤍💙 us DAY 368 👨👩👦👦 Mission complete ✅”
Shannon kept a tally on her Instagram account of the days Jeff was away, deployed overseas for a full year. She shared photos from his send off on June 15, 2022, and proceeded to share how many days he’d been gone in many of her subsequent posts. Their family would take a life-sized cut-out of him dressed in his fatigues to special events like the kids’ baseball games and even to see Luke Bryan perform in Las Vegas.
According to Jeff’s Instagram account, his mission was part of a promotion in early 2022 to First Sergeant. He spent most of the last year in East Africa and received an “unexpected” Commendation Medal in March 2023 from the US Navy for “planning and executing” training drills for the Army and Navy. When his mission ended in Africa on June 3, he also received a Joint Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
Though her husband’s missions were clearly successful, Shannon’s made it clear she’s just happy to have him home. She posted another family photo on Father’s Day and wrote, “My heart is finally full again 💕”
Bryan is notorious for finding unique ways to support and lift up members of the military, including teaming up with former Major League Baseball player Adam LaRoche, who founded and runs the E3 Foundation, dedicated “to supporting our military, the fight against human trafficking, and providing for the food insecure.” In recent months, Bryan’s given away his own truck and trips to destination concerts to raise money for their efforts.
In an episode of “Idol”auditiothat aired in February, he and his fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were in on a surprise for one of the contestants who auditioned for them, Kaylin Hedges. After the teen shared how much she missed her dad, who’d often been deployed during her childhood and was currently on a mission, he walked in to surprise her and her mom in an emotional reunion.
Bryan shared the moment on Instagram and wrote, “Incredible moment getting to bring Dad home to see his daughter not only sing for us but get the platinum ticket! Thank you for your service and sharing @kaylinhedgesofficial with us.”