In the world of country music, Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton are household names, but even these superstars aren’t immune to a hilarious case of mistaken identity. During a recent appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live in April 2025, Luke Bryan shared a side-splitting story about a gas station cashier who mistook him for his friend and rival, Blake Shelton. The encounter, which left Bryan both amused and mildly exasperated, has since gone viral, adding another chapter to the playful feud between the two country icons.

The Gas Station Gaffe

The incident occurred during a fishing trip with Bryan’s 14-year-old son, Tate, near their hometown. Bryan, a Georgia native known for hits like “Play It Again” and “Country Girl,” stopped at a local gas station to grab snacks before hitting the water. As he approached the counter, he noticed a “big, tatted-up guy” staring him down. “I’m thinking, ‘Oh yeah, he recognizes me,’” Bryan recounted on The Jennifer Hudson Show, grinning at the memory. But the cashier’s next words caught him off guard: “Man, you look just like Blake Shelton. You’re not Blake Shelton, are you?”

Bryan, 48, assured the cashier he wasn’t Shelton, but the man was undeterred. “You’re his doppelgänger!” he insisted, adding, “You gotta get that all the time.” As Tate watched the exchange unfold, the cashier took it a step further, musing, “There’s no way you’re Blake, because Blake wouldn’t be here shopping at this gas station. Could you imagine having Blake Shelton’s money?” Bryan, whose net worth is estimated at $160 million compared to Shelton’s $130 million, couldn’t help but laugh. “I said, ‘Oh, what it must be like,’” he quipped on Jimmy Kimmel Live, jokingly claiming he has more money than his friend.

A Viral Moment

Bryan shared the story on social media, captioning a video with, “Identity theft is not a joke @blakeshelton.” The clip, set to Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl,” quickly gained traction, amassing millions of views. Fans flooded the comments, with one suggesting Bryan should’ve FaceTimed Shelton to blow the cashier’s mind, while another wrote, “If he only knew Luke Bryan was standing right in front of him!” The mix-up struck a chord, with some speculating the cashier was so starstruck he confused the names, thinking “Blake” when his brain meant “Luke.”

Shelton, never one to miss a jab, responded with his own video, flushing a toilet to the tune of “Rich Girl” as a cheeky comeback. “Blake took it like a slap in the face,” he told Access Hollywood at the Opry 100 event in Nashville on March 19, 2025, laughing off the comparison. The exchange added fuel to their long-running, lighthearted rivalry, which has entertained fans for over a decade.

The “Bluke” Bromance

Bryan and Shelton, both 48, have been friends since the early 2000s, their camaraderie marked by relentless teasing. From jabs about their music—Bryan once claimed Shelton’s success relied on Stefani—to their competing bars on Broadway (Luke’s 32 Bridge vs. Blake’s Ole Red), the duo’s banter is a fan favorite. They’ve even co-hosted the ACM Awards in 2013, 2014, and 2015, earning the nickname “Bluke” for their comedic chemistry. In 2018, Bryan kicked off the feud by suggesting Shelton’s singles only charted because of Stefani, prompting Shelton to retort that Bryan’s music lulled drivers to sleep.

The mix-up isn’t the first time they’ve been confused for each other. In 2020, a news station mislabeled Bryan as Shelton during the ACM Our Country special, prompting Bryan to post, “I gotta work harder,” while Shelton commented, “Wow look at my spray tan!” In 2021, Bryan laughed about a TV banner identifying him as Shelton on The Tonight Show, joking that despite his “Just for Men” hair dye, he couldn’t escape the comparison. “Blake chooses to go gray, like a silver fox,” he teased, poking fun at Shelton’s 2017 People Sexiest Man Alive title.

Why the Confusion?

While Bryan and Shelton don’t look identical, their shared traits—tall, dark-haired, Southern charmers with megawatt smiles—might explain the mix-up. Both dominate country music, with Bryan as an American Idol judge and Shelton as a former Voice coach. Their public personas, filled with humor and relatability, also overlap. As Jennifer Hudson noted on her show, displaying side-by-side photos, “Both are so lovable,” though Bryan jokingly complained about Shelton’s “purty” blue eyes stealing the spotlight.

Fans on X amplified the story, with @legitsci tweeting, “Luke Bryan being called Blake Shelton’s doppelgänger? Hilarious!” and @BF4ever_3 praising Bryan’s humor on Kimmel. The cashier’s assumption that Shelton wouldn’t shop at a “regular” gas station reflects a common perception of celebrity wealth, but Bryan’s down-to-earth response—laughing it off while teaching Tate how to handle fame—won hearts.

A Lesson in Humility

The incident highlights Bryan’s ability to take fame in stride. On The Jennifer Hudson Show, he noted that Tate enjoyed watching him navigate the “good and bad” parts of celebrity life. Days later, when a restaurant patron mistook Tate’s age, Bryan used it as another teaching moment, showing his son how to stay grounded. “Your children are always watching,” he said, emphasizing grace under pressure.

The mix-up also underscores the duo’s influence in country music. Bryan, with over 20 number-one hits, and Shelton, with a string of chart-toppers, have shaped the genre’s “bro country” era, though Shelton once jokingly called Bryan its “godfather,” claiming it hurt his popularity. Their friendly rivalry, from tractor sponsorships (Bryan’s Fendt vs. Shelton’s Kubota) to farming jabs, keeps fans engaged, with Bryan recently challenging Shelton to a “tractor pull-off.”

The Takeaway

The gas station gaffe is more than a funny anecdote—it’s a snapshot of Bryan and Shelton’s enduring friendship and the quirks of fame. As Bryan prepares for his 2025 Farm Tour and Country Song Came On Tour, and Shelton gears up for new music, their playful dynamic remains a draw. The cashier may have missed meeting Luke Bryan, but he gave the world a story that’s “priceless,” as Bryan put it on Kimmel.

In a genre built on authenticity, Bryan’s response—humble, humorous, and relatable—proves why he’s a star, whether mistaken for Shelton or not. As one X user quipped, “Luke handled it like a champ, but that cashier’s gonna kick himself when he finds out!” For now, fans await Shelton’s next comeback, knowing this “Bluke” saga is far from over.