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Few country artists can boast having flown to anywhere close to the same heights as Luke Combs has since exploding onto the scene in 2015.
Kicking off with his behemoth debut single, 'Hurricane,' and continuing with his independently produced EP, This One's For You, Combs' country music legacy was seemingly written in the stars, and he hasn't missed a step since.
With fifteen No. 1 singles at country radio to his name and somewhere near a staggering 50 award nominations - with plenty of wins from the likes of CMA, ACM, CMT, Billboard, iHeartRadio, NSAI and others - Combs has spent much of his career so far breaking records, both with his music and with his live shows.
Combs’ signature style has been used to build a discography that can already be described as no less than legendary. We take a dive through to pick out his premium songs so far.
The deluxe version of the talented entertainer's sophomore album, What You See Ain’t Always What You Get, debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart upon its release in 2020, as well as Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
The record also reached No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s Top 200 Albums chart, Top 100 Songs chart and Artists 500 chart, making him the first country artist to ever lead all three charts in the same week and the first to top the Artists 500.
Following that feat, he also made history as the first artist ever to have their first two studio albums spend 25 weeks or more at the peak of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, breaking Taylor Swift’s previously held record of 24 weeks.
On the live side, in addition to selling out 37 of the 39 dates on his 2023 World Tour nearly immediately, Combs has also spent 2023 busting attendance records all across the U.S., and will soon take his stellar live show across the pond to the UK and Ireland.
The last couple of years have seen some more heartfelt and mature releases from the North Carolina megastar, showcased on his most recent pair of albums Growin' Up and Gettin' Old.
While they still showcase Combs' perfect blend of country twang and R&B swagger, the albums also see a more introspective singer-songwriter come to the forefront, as he seems to be settling into his role as one of the current kings of country music.
To help bring a little clarity, background and context to one of country's chart-topping megastars, Holler has sifted through some of the most widely asked questions about our North Carolina guy to help you become a Luke Combs superfan.
Where is Luke Combs from?
Luke Combs was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was raised in nearby Asheville from the age of eight. An only child, he began performing at a young age in various chorus classes and school musicals, as well as in his church choir, which performed at the iconic Carnegie Hall.
Combs attended Appalachian State University and, at the same time, worked as a bouncer at a bar before earning stage time there. After learning how to play guitar and slowly amassing a catalog of original songs, our future superstar dropped out of college with only 21 hours left on his degree to pursue his music career. In 2014, he moved to Nashville, where he still lives today.
How old is Luke Combs?
Luke Combs was born on March 2, 1990, making him 33 years old. Over the last several months, all of Combs' 33 years of life have culminated in the form of his introspective pair of albums, Growin' Up and Gettin' Old.
Upon his birthday this last March, the 'Beautiful Crazy' hitmaker shared a tongue-in-cheek tweet where he name dropped both albums, saying, "Growin’ Up and Gettin’ OldER today! Thank y’all for the birthday wishes. Really appreciate it!"
Is Luke Combs married?
Luke Combs is indeed married, to his lovely wife Nicole. The two, who began dating in 2016, announced their engagement in 2018 and were officially married on August 1, 2020 in southern Florida.
Since 2016, Nicole has been one of Combs' central muses. The first song he wrote for her was the meteoric 'Beautiful Crazy,' but many more have followed in recent years, including 'Better Together' and 'Forever After All', whose accompanying music video includes footage from their wedding day.
Does Luke Combs have kids?
Yes, Luke and Nicole Combs have one little boy named Tex Lawrence Combs, who they welcomed in June of 2022, as well as a second little boy on the way, who's expected to arrive in September 2023.
The soon-to-be-parents of two under the age of two recently celebrated Tex's first birthday on June 19.
What is Luke Combs' newest song?
Luke Combs' newest song on country radio is 'Love You Anyway,' which was actually picked by fans in an unprecedented social media poll to decide the multi-Platinum entertainer's next single.
Following the quick ascent of 'Going, Going, Gone,' Combs' 15th career No. 1, back in March, the decorated wordsmith had released a handful of early singles ahead of Gettin' Old's arrival. Among them were the fan-favorite tracks '5 Leaf Clover' and 'Love You Anyway', both of which seemed to have fans in a chokehold from the jump.
Everything you need to know about the North Carolina prodigy's 16th single to country radio.
However, when the time came to pick, social media confirmed that 'Love You Anyway' was their favorite child. It was shipped out to radio in April and has been steadily climbing the country charts since.
How did Luke Combs get discovered?
These days it seems everyone started out on a singing show of some kind, and technically the same is true for Luke Combs.
Combs auditioned for The Voice several years back in Atlanta, Georgia. He made it through several rounds of auditions with producers, getting down to the final 200 applicants, but eventually received a letter that said he "wasn't interesting enough" to boost the show's ratings.
When it came to Combs' actual discovery, there aren't any big moments that stand out or any crazy stories. Rather, he simply built up a grassroots fanbase through the use of platforms like Vine and Facebook and one day caught the attention of music industry execs. Now, the rest is history.
Does Luke Combs write his own songs?
Believe it or not, across Luke Combs' more than 70 recorded songs, there are only three that he has not served as a writer or co-writer on, and all three of them appear on his most recent record, Gettin' Old. They are 'My Song Will Never Die,' 'Where the Wild Things Are' and his cover of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car'.
In addition to writing nearly all of his own discography, Combs has also written songs for Zac Brown Band, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice, Ray Fulcher, Styles Haury and an unreleased track by country starlet Gabby Barrett.
What was Luke Combs first song?
When Luke Combs arrived in Nashville back in 2014, he independently released his first two EPs–The Way She Rides and Can I Get an Outlaw.
However, his debut radio single came in October of 2016 with his now 8x Platinum certified smash hit, 'Hurricane'. The track initially charted in 2015 when Combs released it on his own, which gained the attention of Sony Music Nashville imprint label Columbia Nashville, who quickly gave him a shiny new record deal.
'Hurricane' reached the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart for two consecutive weeks and made Combs the first artist to have a multi-week, debut chart-topper since Florida Georgia Line's 'Cruise' in 2012, as well as the first male solo artist to accomplish that feat since Darius Rucker's 'Don't Think I Don't Think About It' in 2008.
What song did Luke Combs sing at the Grammys?
In February of 2022, Luke Combs took the 65th Annual Grammy Awards' stage by storm with a jaw-dropping rendition of his 15th No. 1 single, 'Going, Going, Gone.'
While the North Carolina native was nominated for three trophies at the 2023 award ceremony, including for Best Country Duo / Group Performance ('Outrunnin' Your Memory' with Miranda Lambert), Best Country Album (Growin' Up) and Best Country Song ('Doin' This'), the already decorated entertainer went home empty handed at this year's Grammy Awards.
Who is opening for Luke Combs?
Luke Combs embarked on his expansive 2023 World Tour in March and will be winding his way across the U.S. and Canada through July, with support from a wide-ranging swath of artists, including Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Flatland Cavalry, Brent Cobb and Lane Pittman. Joining for a select few dates along the way are David Lee Murphy, Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, The Avett Brothers and Gary Allan.
Starting in August, Combs will take his stellar live show around the world, reaching the UK and Ireland in October. Whilst across the pond, Combs will be supported by Holler favorites, 49 Winchester, as well as a special writer's round featuring the likes of Ray Fulcher, Drew Parker and James McNair.
Combs' 2023 World Tour will wrap up with a special show at London's iconic O2 Arena on October 19.
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