Luke Albert Combs (born March 2, 1990) is an American country music 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 extended play, The Way She Rides, 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, was released on November 8, 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.
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. 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.
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 Billboards Top Country Albums and number five on the Billboard 200 in its first week. The album's second single, "When It Rains It Pours", 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", 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" 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 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.
In May 2020, he released the single "Six Feet Apart". 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, 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" set streaming records in country music on Apple Music and Spotify.
His fourth album, Gettin' Old, was released on March 24, 2023. A promotional single, "Growin' Up and Gettin' Old", and a single, "Love You Anyway", were released ahead of the album. His cover of Tracy 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. 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.
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.
Luke co-owns a polarized sunglasses and hat company called Blue Otter Polarized.Luke Combs Co-Owns Blue Otter Polarized
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 inadvertently, who was a fan who had sold $380 worth of tumblers featuring a likeness of Combs. 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.
Supporting
2017 | CMT Music Awards | Breakthrough Video of the Year | "Hurricane" | ||
Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
2018 | Academy of Country Music Awards | New Male Vocalist of the Year | Luke Combs | ||
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Song of the Year | "Hurricane" | |||
New Country Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | ||||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | |||
Top Country Album | This One's for You | ||||
CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | "When It Rains It Pours" | |||
Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Male Vocalist of the Year | |||||
American Music Awards | Favorite Album - Country | This One's for You | |||
2019 | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | Luke Combs | ||
Academy of Country Music Awards | New Male Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Male Artist of the Year | |||||
CMT Music Awards | CMT Performance of the Year | Luke Combs and Leon Bridges | |||
Video of the Year | "She Got the Best of Me" | ||||
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | |||
Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Country Album | This One's For You | ||||
Top Country Song | "She Got the Best of Me" | ||||
Country Music Association Awards | Male Vocalist of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Song of the Year | "Beautiful Crazy" | ||||
Musical Event of the Year | "Brand New Man" (w/ Brooks & Dunn) | ||||
2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Duo/Group Performance | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Male Artist of the Year | |||||
Album of the Year | What You See Is What You Get | ||||
Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Male Vocalist of the Year | |||||
Album of the Year | What You See Is What You Get | ||||
Single of the Year | "Beer Never Broke My Heart" | ||||
Song of the Year | "Even Though I'm Leaving" | ||||
"I Hope You're Happy Now" | |||||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | |||
Top Country Male | |||||
Top Country Album | What You See Is What You Get | ||||
People's Choice Awards | The Country Artist of 2020 | Luke Combs | |||
2021 | Nashville Songwriter Awards | Songwriter-Artist of the Year | Luke Combs | ||
ARIA Music Awards | ARIA Award for Best International Artist | Luke Combs - What You See Ain't Always What You Get | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Male Vocalist of the Year | |||||
Music Event of the Year | "Does to Me" (with Eric Church) | ||||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | |||
Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Male Vocalist of the Year | |||||
Song of the Year | "Forever After All" | ||||
2022 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | ||
Male Vocalist of the Year | |||||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | |||
Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Country Song | "Forever After All" | ||||
Country Music Association Awards | Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Male Vocalist of the Year | |||||
Album of the Year | Growin' Up | ||||
2023 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | |||
ARIA Music Awards | Best International Artist | Himself | |||
Broadcast Music, Inc. | Country Writer of the Year | Luke Combs | |||
Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year | "Fast Car" | |||
Entertainer of the Year | Luke Combs | ||||
Male Vocalist of the Year | |||||
Album of the Year | Gettin' Old | ||||
Billboard Music Awards | Top Artist | Luke Combs | |||
Top Male Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Billboard 200 Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Hot 100 Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Country Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Country Male Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Country Touring Artist | Luke Combs | ||||
Top Country Album | Gettin' Old | ||||
Growin' Up | |||||
Top Country Song | "Fast Car" | ||||
2024 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Solo Performance | "Fast Car" | ||
People's Choice Awards | The Male Artist | Himself | |||
The Male Country Artist | |||||
The Song | "Fast Car" | ||||
The Album | Gettin' Old | ||||
The Concert Tour | Luke Combs World Tour |
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