Cole Swindell calls Luke Bryan his 'biggest influence'

Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 3:30 PM

If there's a fellow Georgia boy that Cole Swindell looks up to in country music, it's Luke Bryan.

"[Luke] has to be my biggest influence, I mean, not just his music — he has great songs and he’s a great entertainer — but also the way he treats people," Cole shares in a press interview. "I think that in this business [it's] just as important to be a good person as it is to be talented."

Cole has a longtime friendship with Luke. Before launching his singing career, he was on tour with the American Idol judge not as an opener, but as Luke's merchandise guy, tending to his merch booth and selling various merch items.

Of course, Cole went on to open for Luke on various tours, including the That's My Kind of Night Tour, Farm Tour and Crash My Playa.

"[Luke's] just a good guy that is from the same part of Georgia as me, and just seeing somebody like that from a small town come up to Nashville and make it, it just gives you hope that anybody out there with a crazy dream of being a country music artist or just anything you want to do, it can happen," Cole adds. "You know, it doesn’t matter who you are, or where you come from."

"Forever to Me" is currently in the top 15 and climbing up the country charts. It's the lead single from Cole's forthcoming as-yet-untitled new album.