Luke Combs is a country singer and songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina, who is born in 1990 and later moves to Asheville before settling in Nashville to pursue music. He performs with the Luke Combs Band and works within contemporary country, country pop and americana as well as country.

Early life and education

Combs is an only child and begins singing as a child. At A. C. Reynolds High School, he plays football, performs with several vocal groups and sings a solo at Carnegie Hall. He then attends Appalachian State University, where he works as a bouncer at a bar and later gets stage time there. His first country show takes place at the Parthenon Cafe. With less than a month left in his senior year, he leaves university to focus on music.

Recordings and breakthrough

Combs releases his first EP, The Way She Rides, in 2014, followed later that year by Can I Get an Outlaw. In November 2015 he issues This One's for You, and after signing with Sony Music Nashville, its lead single “Hurricane” is re-released on Columbia Nashville. “Hurricane” becomes his first major breakthrough, reaching number one on country radio airplay. His major-label debut album, also titled This One's for You, appears in 2017 on Columbia Nashville and River House Artists and reaches number one on Top Country Albums and number five on the Billboard 200 in its first week.

Chart success

Across his two Columbia Nashville albums, Combs has 14 singles that all reach number one on Billboard's Country Airplay chart: “Hurricane”, “When It Rains It Pours”, “One Number Away”, “She Got the Best of Me”, “Beautiful Crazy”, “Beer Never Broke My Heart”, “Even Though I'm Leaving”, “Does to Me”, “Lovin' on You”, “Better Together”, “Forever After All”, “Cold As You”, “Doin' This” and “The Kind Of Love We Make”. “Beautiful Crazy” also tops Hot Country Songs, Country Streaming Songs and Country Digital Song Sales, and gives him five number ones from his first five singles. In 2019, This One's for You spends its 44th week at number one on Top Country Albums, setting a record for the longest run at the top of that chart by a male artist.

Later releases and recognition

His second album, What You See Is What You Get, is released in 2019 and includes the singles “Beer Never Broke My Heart”, “Even Though I'm Leaving” and “Does to Me”, a duet with Eric Church. In 2020 he releases the single “Six Feet Apart”, which becomes associated with life during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also releases “Lovin' on You”, which appears on both the album and the EP The Prequel. A deluxe edition of What You See Is What You Get, titled What You See Ain't Always What You Get, adds five new songs. “Forever After All” sets streaming records in country music on Apple Music and Spotify.

Other milestones

Combs is named one of Sounds Like Nashville's Artists to Watch in late 2016. He joins the Grand Ole Opry in June 2019.