Lauren Alaina is speaking out about the loss of her father, J.J. Suddeth, who passed away last month. The 29-year-old shared a heartfelt message to her fans, thanking them for their support, as she prepares to return to Jason Aldean‘s 2024 Highway Desperado Tour this weekend.
“Thank you,” Alaina writes. “I can’t think of much else to say right now other than thank you. Thank you to everyone who has checked on me and continued to show up for me. Thank you to Jason Aldean and Brittany Aldean and your team for treating me like family. Thank you to my husband for being the arms that are holding me together all day and all night long. Thank you to my brother and sister and their beautiful babies for the FaceTimes at all times of the day to make me smile or bring me comfort in any way you can.
“Thank you to my momma and bonus dad for coming out on the road with me,” she continues. “Thank you to my team for giving me a loving environment on the road. Most of all thank you Jesus for the unconditional love and strength from the Kingdom of God surrounding all of us right now as we navigate this pain and sorrow. See you this weekend IN, OH, PA.”
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The Georgia native first shared the news of her father’s sudden passing on social media.
“We lost my daddy last night, and I really don’t have words yet,” Alaina wrote. “I want to let y’all know that I’m not able to play the three shows I had scheduled in Savannah, Virginia Beach, and Charlotte, as I am going home to be with my family.
“Thank you for your prayers and understanding. Pinky,” she concluded, referencing a pet name given to her by her father.
Alaina married Cam Arnold in February. After their wedding, she shared a song on social media that she wrote for her father, in honor of her wedding.
“I wrote this song for my daddy for our daddy/daughter dance. It was such a special moment during our wedding. I will truly never forget it,” Alaina said, adding a lyric from the song.
“I knew I found the one when they became best friends. My good ole boy and My Ole Man,” she wrote.
In addition to opening for Aldean, Alaina’s concert schedule also includes a show at her favorite venue, the Grand Ole Opry, on September 10. Alaina became a member in 2022, a dream come true for Alaina, who even as a child hoped she could one day be an Opry member.
“It was my number one goal in my career for the longest time, to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry,” Alaina told Everything Nash. “So when that happened, I still can’t believe it to even say it. It is truly the highest honor that I believe you can get as a country music artist. Every time I step on that stage, I’m the luckiest person in the room, and I just want to make country music proud. I’m proud to be of the younger generation that can honor the Opry and be an example for the Opry. I love everything about it.”
Find all of Alaina’s music and upcoming shows at LaurenAlainaOfficial.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC / Katherine Bomboy