Luke Combs

Biography

Luke Albert Combs (/koʊmz/; born March 2, 1990) is an American country singer. He was born in North Carolina and grew up there, performing as a child. After leaving college to pursue a career in music, he moved to Nashville and released his debut EP, The Way She Rides×The Way She Rides4 February 2014 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1The Way She Rides2:442I Know She Ain't Ready3:033Let the Moonshine3:29, in 2014.
In 2017, Combs released his debut album, This One's for You, which reached number four on the Billboard 200. His second album, What You See Is What You Get×What You See Is What You Get8 November 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Beer Never Broke My Heart3:07A2Refrigerator Door3:24A3Even Though I’m Leaving3:45A4Lovin’ on You3:15A5Moon Over Mexico3:25B11, 2 Many3:01B2Blue Collar Boys3:42B3New Every Day3:19B4Reasons3:44Disc 2C1Every Little Bit Helps4:08C2Dear Today3:40C3What You See Is What You Get2:52C4Does to Me3:44D1Angels Workin’ Overtime4:14D2All Over Again3:30D3Nothing Like You3:17D4Better Together3:40, was released in 2019 and topped the charts in multiple territories, becoming his first to accomplish that. He has received three Grammy Award nominations, two iHeart Radio music awards, four Academy of Country Music Awards, and six Country Music Association Awards including the 2021 and 2022 Entertainer of the Year award, their highest honor.

Early life

Combs was born in Huntersville, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte on March 2, 1990, as the only child of Rhonda (née Frasure) and Lee Combs. The family moved to Asheville in Western North Carolina. As a child he performed in chorus class, multiple school musicals, and joined his church choir, which had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall.
He attended Appalachian State University, where he studied business and later switched to criminal justice intending to be a homicide detective. While in college, he worked as a bouncer at a bar before being on stage in that same bar. Luke taught himself guitar on his mother's advice after dropping out of college.
He played his first country music show at the Parthenon Cafe in Boone, North Carolina. After five years and with 21 hours left on his degree, he dropped out to follow a country music career path. He later moved to Nashville pursuing more opportunities in music.

2014–2019: Beginnings and This One's For You

Combs released his first EP, The Way She Rides×The Way She Rides4 February 2014 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1The Way She Rides2:442I Know She Ain't Ready3:033Let the Moonshine3:29, in February 2014. Later that year, he released his second EP, Can I Get an Outlaw×Can I Get an Outlaw4 November 2016 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Sheriff You Want To3:412Can I Get an Outlaw3:58. In November 2015 he released his third EP, This One's for You. In late 2016, he was named one of Sounds Like Nashville's "Artists to Watch". In 2016, his first single, "Hurricane×Hurricane3 October 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Hurricane3:43", sold 15,000 copies in its first week, and debuted at number 46 on Hot Country Songs. He signed a deal with Sony Music Nashville, and the debut single from This One's for You, "Hurricane", was re-released on Columbia Nashville. "Hurricane" reached number one on the country radio airplay chart on May 15, 2017, holding that spot for two weeks.
In June 2017, he released his major label debut album, also titled This One's for You, on Columbia Nashville and River House Artists. It hit number one on Billboard's Top Country Albums and number five on the Billboard 200 in its first week. The album's second single, "When It Rains It Pours×When It Rains It Pours19 June 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1When It Rains It Pours4:02", was released to country radio on June 19, 2017. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in October 2017. The album's third single, "One Number Away×One Number Away8 January 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1One Number Away3:42", was released to country radio on January 8, 2018. In June 2018, he released a deluxe version titled This One's for You Too, with five bonus tracks, two of which ("She Got the Best of Me×She Got the Best of Me13 August 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1She Got the Best of Me3:03" and "Beautiful Crazy×Beautiful Crazy9 July 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Beautiful Crazy3:13") were issued as singles with both reaching number-one. "Beautiful Crazy" reached number one on Country Airplay in February 2019, giving him five number-ones on the Billboard country chart with his first five singles. The song reached number one on three additional country charts – Hot Country Songs, Country Streaming Songs, and Country Digital Song Sales.

2019–2021: What You See Is What You Get

On June 11, 2019, he was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In August 2019, This One's for You spent its 44th week at number one on Top Country Albums, setting the record for the longest reign at the top of that chart by a male artist. His second album, What You See Is What You Get×What You See Is What You Get8 November 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Beer Never Broke My Heart3:07A2Refrigerator Door3:24A3Even Though I’m Leaving3:45A4Lovin’ on You3:15A5Moon Over Mexico3:25B11, 2 Many3:01B2Blue Collar Boys3:42B3New Every Day3:19B4Reasons3:44Disc 2C1Every Little Bit Helps4:08C2Dear Today3:40C3What You See Is What You Get2:52C4Does to Me3:44D1Angels Workin’ Overtime4:14D2All Over Again3:30D3Nothing Like You3:17D4Better Together3:40, was released on November 8, 2019. The album has charted the singles "Beer Never Broke My Heart×Beer Never Broke My Heart8 May 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Beer Never Broke My Heart3:07", "Even Though I'm Leaving", "Does to Me×Does to Me27 January 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Does to Me3:43" (a duet with Eric Church), and "Lovin' on You", all of which have reached number one on the country chart.
In May 2020, he released the single "Six Feet Apart×Six Feet Apart1 May 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Six Feet Apart3:19". The single quickly became popular to listeners as it illustrated the challenges of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020 he confirmed his next single would be "Lovin' on You", which was released on both his second album and the EP The Prequel×The Prequel7 June 2019 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Beer Never Broke My Heart3:072Refrigerator Door3:243Even Though I’m Leaving3:454Lovin’ On You3:155Moon Over Mexico3:27, which predated the album. He announced a deluxe version of What You See Is What You Get, titled What You See Ain't Always What You Get, with five new songs; it was released on October 23, 2020. The track "Forever After All×Forever After All23 February 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Forever After All3:52" set streaming records in country music on Apple Music and Spotify.

2022–2023: Growin' Up and Gettin' Old

Growin' Up, his third album, was released on June 24, 2022. The album has charted the singles "Doin' This×Doin' This10 November 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Doin' This4:15"; "The Kind of Love We Make×The Kind of Love We Make16 June 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1The Kind of Love We Make3:42", which reached number one on the country chart and number eight on the Hot 100; and "Going, Going, Gone×Going, Going, Gone12 October 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Going, Going, Gone2:55". In May 2023 Combs collaborated with English star Ed Sheeran on the single "Life Goes On". Following the release of the single, Sheeran's solo version of the song was released on his fifth studio album - (Subtract).
His fourth album, Gettin' Old, was released on March 24, 2023. A promotional single, "Growin' Up and Gettin' Old×Growin' Up and Gettin' Old27 January 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Growin' Up and Gettin' Old3:52", and a single, "Love You Anyway×Love You Anyway10 February 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Love You Anyway3:49", were released ahead of the album. His cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car×Fast Car18 April 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Fast Car4:25" was streamed more than 65 million times on Spotify in less than two months after the album was released, making it the most popular song from the album on that platform. Combs's version of "Fast Car" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, higher than Chapman's original 1988 version, and No. 1 on the US Adult Top 40, US Country Airplay and US Hot Country Songs charts, as well as No. 1 on the Canada Country charts. The song garnered Combs the Single of the Year at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 8, 2023. At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024, Combs performed a duet of the song with Chapman.
He counts the song as his first favorite song and having an impact on him since he was a child.

2024–present: Fathers & Sons and The Way I Am

In May 2024, Combs released "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma", the lead single from the Twisters soundtrack. Combs released "The Man He Sees in Me" on June 6, 2024, along with the announcement of his fifth studio album titled Fathers & Sons×Fathers & Sons14 June 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Front Door Famous3:212In Case I Ain’t Around3:323Huntin’ by Yourself4:014Little Country Boys3:175Whoever You Turn Out to Be3:206Remember Him That Way3:587The Man He Sees in Me2:478All I Ever Do Is Leave3:239Plant a Seed3:1610Ride Around Heaven3:0511My Old Man Was Right3:1712Take Me Out to the Ballgame3:19, which was released on June 14, 2024.
Combs and Eric Church put together the "Concert for Carolina" on October 26, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, which raised over $24 million for Hurricane Helene relief.
The Way I Am, Combs's sixth studio album was released on March 20, 2026. The album earned Combs his fifth number one album on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and entered the Billboard 200 chart at number two.
Combs made a guest appearance on the Disney Channel animated series Big City Greens, voicing country musician Rusty Twang.

Personal life

Combs began dating Nicole Hocking in early 2016, and the couple became engaged in November 2018. They married in Florida on August 1, 2020. They have three sons.
Combs began to struggle with anxiety and primarily obsessional obsessive–compulsive disorder in adolescence through his college years; he has said that while it is something he has learned to control better, he still struggles with obsessive thoughts from time to time.
In 2023, Combs obtained a $250,000 SAD scheme default judgment against Nicol Harness, a fan who had sold $380 worth of tumblers featuring a likeness of Combs. Combs subsequently issued an apology and said he had no personal awareness of the lawsuit, sent Harness $11,000, and offered to sell the tumblers through his official merchandise store to assist with Harness's medical bills.
Luke co-owns a polarized sunglasses and hat company called Blue Otter Polarized.