How Luke Bryan Wound Up Giving Songwriting Lessons on ‘Duck Dynasty: The Revival’

Country superstar Luke Bryan is used to critiquing and mentoring rising stars on “American Idol,” but on July 6, 2025, fans of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” may have been surprised to see him show up on the show to do the same with 23-year-old cast member Will Robertson, the son of family patriarch Willie Robertson.

So how did Bryan wind up on the episode? Here’s how it all unfolded…

Luke Bryan Showed Up to Help Willie Robertson’s Son Write His First Song

The original “Duck Dynasty” aired for 11 seasons on A&E. With nearly 12 million viewers at the height of its success, it was the “most-watched non-fiction series in cable history,” per the network. Until 2017, the show followed the Robertson family and its Duck Commander business, founded by the late Phil Robertson, who died in May at age 79, months after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

After eight years, Willie and Korie Robertson returned to TV on June 1 with “Duck Dynasty: The Revival,” now navigating their lives with adult kids and grandchildren, and still managing the Duck Commander business in Louisiana. A&E has already picked up the reality show for a second season, per a press release.

On the July 6 episode, Willie brought Bryan into the mix to help his son Will with his songwriting aspirations.

“My dad and Luke Bryan have been friends for a very long time,” Will told Parade before the episode premiered. “I’m sure my dad went to a few of his concerts. Then Luke joined my dad’s Buck Commander team as one of the buckmen, so they hunt a lot together.”

“But obviously, Luke is one of the biggest country stars right now,” he continued, “and I got to just ask him a few questions about writing music and where he gets inspiration, how he gets it, what he does to (prepare).” 

When Will asked Bryan during the episode for advice on how to get into the mindset for writing a song, Bryan told him, “I think you kind of just gotta find a place that’s your place to kind of do your work. And so you want to develop somewhere that you kind of got a little connection to.”

Will has been living in Texas with his wife Abby while the rest of the Robertson crew remained in Louisiana, and missing home inspired him to pen a tune called “Home” with Bryan’s assistance.

“It really helped a lot,” Will told the outlet. “And it was also just good to sit down with a family friend that we haven’t seen in a while, (with) how busy he is with all that he’s doing. It was cool to just sit and talk and get some advice from him.”

Luke Bryan Invited Buck Commander Crew to His Farm in 2025

Bryan and Willie have been hunting deer with their Buck Commander team of friends for over two decades, often filming their adventures for their YouTube channel. The team, which they call “The Buckmen” includes Adam LaRoche, Jason Aldean, Ryan Langerhans, Tombo Martin, and Tyler Farr.

In February, they posted a video of their first-ever duck hunting expedition on Bryan’s Tennessee farm, complete with the country star hilariously driving Willie crazy with his duck calls.

Bryan’s appearance on “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” isn’t his first time making music with the Robertson crew. He’s had some memorable performances with Willie over the years, including their funny “Rattlesnake” tune and performing “Hairy Christmas” on the Country Music Association’s ABC Christmas Special in 2011.