In the latest episode of CNN’s All There Is With Anderson Cooper podcast, country music star Luke Bryan opened up about the heartbreaking losses that have shaped his life — the sudden death of his sister Kelly, the fatal car accident that took his brother Chris, and the later passing of his brother-in-law Lee.

“I’ve never really explained what happened to my sister,” Luke shared emotionally. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there, but the truth is, she died of what’s called sudden death syndrome. She was just at home doing laundry, and it was like… someone flipped a switch. It happened so fast, so tragically.”

Luke’s grief runs deep. In 1996, his older brother Chris was killed in a car crash — a loss that marked the beginning of years of family tragedy. “You can conceptualize a car accident,” Luke said, “but you can’t wrap your head around someone who’s perfectly healthy — 5’11”, 130 pounds, strong as a horse — just being gone.”

Years later, tragedy struck again when Kelly’s husband, Lee, died of a heart attack. Luke and his wife, Caroline, who already had two children of their own, decided to raise Kelly and Lee’s three kids. “Being able to look into their eyes and see my sister in them has helped me heal,” Luke said softly. “I see her in them every single day.”

During the 40-minute conversation, Luke also revealed a moment that changed how he viewed grief and the importance of speaking openly about loss. After a concert, during a fan meet-and-greet, a nine-year-old boy approached him with tears in his eyes.

“He said, ‘Mr. Luke, I lost my sister a couple of months ago, and I want to know how you get through life.’ And I told him, ‘Buddy, you talk to your sister like she’s still here. You treat her like she’s with you every day of your life.’”

That encounter, Luke said, affirmed his belief that sharing his pain could help others.

“I don’t want to hide from my sadness anymore,” he concluded. “If my story can help someone else find hope after heartbreak, then that’s reason enough to keep singing.”