For King & Country's Luke Smallbone nearly died from illness

His cellphone chirped and a text popped up while he was in his resort hotel room. Within seconds, his spirit crashed.

Joel Smallbone, on his honeymoon in 2013, found himself sitting on the edge of his bed wondering if his brother was going to die.

He turned to his wife. “It’s really bad.”

Luke, his brother and partner in popular Christian music duo For King & Country, was in critical condition. He had had a digestive disorder — ulcerative colitis — for a while, and now the 6-foot-4-inch singer weighed only 125 pounds, too frail to hold his own newborn baby.

The text said, among other things, Luke had to stop touring for the foreseeable future.

Joel had emotional whiplash.

“Here I am, so thrilled to be married to this wonderful woman. And now, I’m overcome with sadness and fear. I was afraid I was going to lose my best friend, my brother, my partner.”

But the brothers were used to overcoming adversity.

The boys were among seven kids — including one-time Christian artist Rebecca St. James — who came from Australia with their parents in 1991.

Their father, a longtime music promoter, decided to make a go of it in the States, but that proved difficult for years.

The large family found themselves eating Ramen noodles and Taco Bell, walking miles to the grocery store when the car broke down, sitting in circles praying for the need of the day — a job, a car, rent, money for doctors.

Eventually, sister Rebecca launched a career that helped sustain the family. Joel and Luke found themselves part of her team, doing backing vocals, operating lights, managing the stage, anything to make Team Rebecca work.

By 2012, the brothers decided to launch their own duo, For King & Country, while Luke — a private person — quietly started to go to doctors because his insides were messed up.

Stress aggravated his illness. Luke was a new husband expecting a new baby and launching a new act — and losing weight throughout those intense months. It was hard to notice in the moment.

But Joel sees video from their 2013 appearance on Jay Leno’s late-night show, and now, he can’t believe how skinny and frail Luke looked.

After leaving Tahiti, Joel flew right to a concert in Minnesota.

The family decided For King & Country would tour without Luke, who missed 40 shows altogether.

“I’d never played a show without him before. We have a time before the show, we say a prayer, read an inspirational word. I remember, we asked our drummer to pray. I don’t remember any of us being more tearful than that.”

Joel would call Luke after every show and tell him how things went. Sometimes one brother or the other would cry during those calls. Luke missed the stage; Joel missed his brother.

“The irony is that’s what I always wanted growing up, to be a solo act. Luke and I were archenemies — he was always taller than me, better at sports than me, and I’m older, that’s not right! He’s also a better vocalist, and that’s not right either!” Joel said, laughing.

“To actually (be solo) for three months, it was like, eh. I don’t want to do this alone. It made me realize I want him and I need him.”

Once the band announced Luke's illness, fans rushed forward with love, pledges of support and gifts, all uplifting. But Luke stayed sick, and he didn’t turn a corner until a Vanderbilt physician put him on a different diet in late 2013.

Luke returned to the road the next year, and the two put out a sophomore album, motivated in large part by Luke’s near-death illness. Fans connected.

For King & Country come into this weekend’s K-LOVE radio awards with the most nominations. The brothers often headline multiple-act Christian tours.

And Joel has his little brother back. Doctors recently started using words like “remission” and “cured.”

Joel’s voice broke when he said that. But he teases Luke that Luke needs to pay him back for that lost time. Because that’s what brothers do.

“I told him, ‘OK, now that you’re back, it’s time to work. I’ve been doing all these extra things, and you’ve gotta make it up to me!' ”

Reach Brad Schmitt at 615-259-8384 and on Twitter @bradschmitt.

K-LOVE Fan Awards Show

What: Contemporary Christian radio station ownership group K-LOVE presents annual fan-voted awards to artists each year.

Who: Former "The View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Christian singer Matthew West will co-host. TobyMac, Switchfoot and Natalie Grant are among the performers.

When: 6 p.m. June 5

Where: Grand Ole Opry House, 2804 Opryland Drive.

Tickets: $50 and $67

Available: www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B005078C5466123