Brantley Gilbert said his daughter was uncharacteristically “speechless” when Ella Langley walked into the room — and the “Choosin’ Texas” star made her feel right at home.

Over the weekend, Gilbert shared photos on Instagram of the sweet moment his daughter met Langley at her concert. The “Country Must Be Country Wide” artist is a father of three: firstborn son Barrett Hardy-Clay Gilbert, 8, daughter Braylen Hendrix Gilbert, 7, and son Abram Howell Gilbert, who turns 2 next month. Gilbert shared in his caption, “Bray turned 7 and wanted to see Ella Langley. I go way back with her manager and a few people on her team who I now owe giant favors. I’d heard good things about Ella, and we’d briefly met at a Toby [Keith] tribute, but I was there for Bray. I didn’t really know what to expect.

“I’ve seldom seen my daughter nervous,” he said. “Every time that door opened, her eyes got wide and her world stopped. When Ella walked in, Bray was something she’d never been in her entire life… speechless, and welded to my wife [Amber Cochran Gilbert].”

Seeing “starstruck” children is nothing new to Gilbert, who has met plenty of fans of his own over the years. It was new, however, experiencing how much the meet-and-greet moment meant to his own daughter. And Langley exceeded his expectations.

“I’ve seen kids starstruck at meet and greets for years. It’s different when the little girl is yours,” he said. “Watching Ella spend the next several minutes disarming her and making her feel so special is something I’ll never forget. There were other kids in the room and she made every one of them feel the same.”

Gilbert went on to share that the concert was just as unforgettable to his daughter.

“Kameron Marlowe opened and killed it. The production was next level. The band was awesome. Ella’s performance was lights out,” he wrote. “But aside from the way she treated my daughter, watching my wife and Bray dance and sing along — and Bray calling it ‘the best night ever’ — it was that conversation that impressed me the most.

“Before she left I got to talk to her for a few. Artist-to-artist stuff in this business can be hit or miss. Quick. Respectful but obligatory. That was my expectation. This was the opposite,” Gilbert shared. “I met an incredible young woman who loves her fans, her music, and the people around her. She’s paid old school dues, earned new school stripes, and gives credit where it’s due. She’s got a record-breaking song for a reason. This ain’t about ‘Choosin’ Texas.’ It’s about choosing to work, pray, sing, and play a dream into reality. And we’re here for it.”

Nearly 2,000 commenters as of publication time shared their reactions to the heartfelt story, including fellow country artists Jake Owen, Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay, and more. Gilbert also received a response from Langley herself. She wrote: “Thank you so much for the kind words 🥹 Loved getting to meet Bray! See y’all soon!”

See Gilbert’s post here:

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