Luke Combs | |
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 Combs in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Luke Albert Combs[1] (1990-03-02)March 2, 1990 (age 35)[2] |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
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Spouse | |
| Website | lukecombs |
| Awards | Full list |
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Luke Albert Combs (/koʊmz/; born March 2, 1990) is an Americancountry singer. He was born inNorth Carolina and grew up there, performing as a child. After leaving college to pursue a career in music, he moved toNashville and released his debutEP,The Way She Rides, in 2014.
In 2017, Combs released his debut album,This One's for You, which reached number four on theBillboard 200. His second album,What You See Is What You Get, was released in 2019 and topped the charts in multiple territories, becoming his first to accomplish that. He has received threeGrammy Award nominations, twoiHeart Radio music awards, fourAcademy of Country Music Awards, and sixCountry Music Association Awards including the 2021 and 2022Entertainer of the Year award, their highest honor.
Combs was born inHuntersville, North Carolina, a suburb ofCharlotte on March 2, 1990, as the only child of Rhonda (née Frasure)[3] and Chester Combs.[4][5] The family moved toAsheville inwestern North Carolina.[6][7] As a child he performed in chorus class, multiple school musicals, and joined his church choir, which had the opportunity to perform atCarnegie Hall.[8]
He attendedAppalachian 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.[9] Luke taught himself guitar on his mother's advice after dropping out of college.[10]
He played his first country music show at the Parthenon Cafe inBoone, 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.[11]
Combs released his first EP,The Way She Rides, in February 2014. Later that year, he released his second EP,Can I Get an Outlaw.[12][2] 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".[13] In 2016, his first single, "Hurricane", sold 15,000 copies in its first week,[14] and debuted at number 46 onHot Country Songs.[15] He signed a deal withSony Music Nashville, and the debut single fromThis One's for You, "Hurricane", was re-released on Columbia Nashville.[14] "Hurricane" reached number one on the country radio airplay chart on May 15, 2017, holding that spot for two weeks.[16]
In June 2017, he released his major label debut album, also titledThis One's for You, onColumbia Nashville and River House Artists.[2] It hit number one onBillboard'sTop Country Albums[17] and number five on theBillboard 200[18] in its first week. The album's second single, "When It Rains It Pours", was released to country radio on June 19, 2017.[19] It reached number one on theCountry Airplay chart in October 2017. The album's third single, "One Number Away", was released to country radio on January 8, 2018. In June 2018, he released a deluxe version titledThis One's for You Too, with five bonus tracks, two of which ("She Got the Best of Me" and "Beautiful Crazy") 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 theBillboard country chart with his first five singles.[20] The song reached number one on three additional country charts – Hot Country Songs, Country Streaming Songs, and Country Digital Song Sales.[20]
On June 11, 2019, he was invited to become a member of theGrand Ole Opry.[21] In August 2019,This One's for You spent its 44th week at number one onTop Country Albums, setting the record for the longest reign at the top of that chart by a male artist.[22] His second album,What You See Is What You Get, was released on November 8, 2019.[23] The album has charted the singles "Beer Never Broke My Heart", "Even Though I'm Leaving", "Does to Me" (a duet withEric 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".[24] The single quickly became popular to listeners as it illustrated the challenges of life during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[25] In June 2020 he confirmed his next single would be "Lovin' on You", which was released on both his second album and the EPThe Prequel, which predated the album. He announced a deluxe version ofWhat You See Is What You Get, titledWhat You See Ain't Always What You Get, with five new songs; it was released on October 23, 2020.[26] The track "Forever After All" set streaming records in country music onApple Music andSpotify.[27]
Growin' Up, his third album, was released on June 24, 2022.[28] The album has charted the singles "Doin' This"; "The Kind of Love We Make", which reached number one on the country chart and number eight on theHot 100; and "Going, Going, Gone". In May 2023 Combs collaborated with English starEd Sheeran on the single "Life Goes On".[29] 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.[30] A promotional single, "Growin' Up and Gettin' Old", and a single, "Love You Anyway", were released ahead of the album. His cover ofTracy Chapman's "Fast Car" 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.[31] Combs's version of "Fast Car" reached No. 2 on theBillboard Hot 100, higher than Chapman's original 1988 version, and No. 1 on the USAdult Top 40, USCountry Airplay and USHot Country Songs charts, as well as No. 1 on the Canada Country charts. The song garnered Combs theSingle of the Year at the57th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 8, 2023.[32] At the66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024, Combs performed a duet of the song with Chapman.[33]He counts the song as his first favorite song and having an impact on him since he was a child.[34]
In May 2024, Combs released "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma", the lead single from theTwisters soundtrack.[35] Combs released "The Man He Sees in Me" on June 6, 2024, along with the announcement of his fifth studio album titledFathers & Sons, which was released on June 14, 2024.[36]
Combs andEric Church put together the "Concert for Carolina" on October 26, 2024, atBank of America Stadium inCharlotte, North Carolina, which raised over $24 million forHurricane Helene relief.[37]
Luke co-owns a polarized sunglasses and hat company called Blue Otter Polarized.[38]
Combs released a new song "Giving Her Away" which was released in late 2025.[39]
In early 2016, Combs started dating Nicole Hocking, and the two became engaged in November 2018.[40][41] They married inFlorida on August 1, 2020.[42] On June 19, 2022, they had their first son.[43] On August 15, 2023, their second son was born.[44][45] On September 23, 2025, Combs and his wife announced that they are expecting their third child due this winter.[46]
Combs began to struggle withanxiety andprimarily 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.[47]
In 2023, Combs obtained a $250,000SAD scheme default judgment against Nicol Harness inadvertently, who was a fan who had sold $380 worth of tumblers featuring a likeness of Combs.[48][49][50] Combs subsequently issued an apology, sent Harness $11,000, and offered to sell the tumblers through his official merchandise store to assist with Harness's medical bills.[48][49][50]
Headlining
Supporting
| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient/Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | CMT Music Awards | Breakthrough Video of the Year | "Hurricane" | Nominated | [51] |
| Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | Nominated | [52] | |
| 2018 | Academy of Country Music Awards | New Male Vocalist of the Year | Luke Combs | Nominated | |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Song of the Year | "Hurricane" | Nominated | [53] | |
| New Country Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | |||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | [54] | |
| Top Country Album | This One's for You | Nominated | |||
| CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | "When It Rains It Pours" | Nominated | [55] | |
| Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | ||
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| American Music Awards | Favorite Album - Country | This One's for You | Nominated | [56] | |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music Awards | New Male Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | ||
| Male Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| CMT Music Awards | CMT Performance of the Year | Luke Combs andLeon Bridges | Won | [57] | |
| Video of the Year | "She Got the Best of Me" | Nominated | |||
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | [58] | |
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | Won | [59] | |
| Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | Won | |||
| Top Country Album | This One's For You | Won | |||
| Top Country Song | "She Got the Best of Me" | Nominated | |||
| Country Music Association Awards | Male Vocalist of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | ||
| Song of the Year | "Beautiful Crazy" | Won | |||
| Musical Event of the Year | "Brand New Man" (w/ Brooks & Dunn) | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Duo/Group Performance | Nominated | ||
| Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | Nominated | ||
| Male Artist of the Year | Won | ||||
| Album of the Year | What You See Is What You Get | Won | |||
| Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | Nominated | ||
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Won | ||||
| Album of the Year | What You See Is What You Get | Won | |||
| Single of the Year | "Beer Never Broke My Heart" | Nominated | |||
| Song of the Year | "Even Though I'm Leaving" | Nominated | |||
| "I Hope You're Happy Now" | Nominated | ||||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | Won | [60] | |
| Top Country Male | Won | ||||
| Top Country Album | What You See Is What You Get | Won | |||
| People's Choice Awards | The Country Artist of 2020 | Luke Combs | Nominated | ||
| 2021 | Nashville Songwriter Awards | Songwriter-Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | [61] |
| ARIA Music Awards | ARIA Award for Best International Artist | Luke Combs -What You See Ain't Always What You Get | Nominated | [62] | |
| Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | Nominated | ||
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Music Event of the Year | "Does to Me" (with Eric Church) | Nominated | |||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | [63] | |
| Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | ||
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Song of the Year | "Forever After All" | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | Nominated | |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | [64] | |
| Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Top Country Song | "Forever After All" | Nominated | |||
| Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | ||
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Album of the Year | Growin' Up | Won | |||
| 2023 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | Nominated | ||
| ARIA Music Awards | Best International Artist | Himself | Nominated | ||
| Broadcast Music, Inc. | Country Writer of the Year | Luke Combs | Won | ||
| Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year | "Fast Car" | Won | ||
| Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Album of the Year | Gettin' Old | Nominated | |||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | [65] | |
| Top Male Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Top Billboard 200 Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Top Hot 100 Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Top Country Touring Artist | Luke Combs | Nominated | |||
| Top Country Album | Gettin' Old | Nominated | |||
| Growin' Up | Nominated | ||||
| Top Country Song | "Fast Car" | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Solo Performance | "Fast Car" | Nominated | |
| People's Choice Awards | The Male Artist | Himself | Nominated | [66] | |
| The Male Country Artist | Nominated | ||||
| The Song | "Fast Car" | Nominated | |||
| The Album | Gettin' Old | Nominated | |||
| The Concert Tour | Luke Combs World Tour | Nominated |
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