by: Bee Delores
Last Updated: July 15, 2024
7 min read
7 min read
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Country music sensation Luke Combs recently shared a special moment with his family, taking his young sons through a new exhibit dedicated to his illustrious career at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
The exhibit, titled “Luke Combs: The Man I Am ,” provides an intimate look into the superstar’s life and meteoric rise in the music industry, featuring personal artifacts and career milestones that highlight his journey.
In this article, we’ll delve into the touching family moments, the significance of the artifacts on display, and the inspiring story of Combs’ path to stardom , showcasing why he remains a beloved figure in country music.
Let’s get started!
Combs’ two-year-old son, Tex, had a particularly amusing reaction to the exhibit. Upon seeing his father’s childhood Winnie-the-Pooh toy behind glass, the toddler couldn’t understand why he couldn’t hold it.
“He was like, ‘Open it, open it,'” Combs recalled with a chuckle. “I was like, ‘It doesn’t open, buddy.’ He asked me for the Pooh. He said, ‘Hold it.’ And I said, ‘Oh, you can’t hold it, buddy.'”
The stuffed animal, a cherished piece from Combs’ early years, usually resides at his parents’ home in Nashville, where Tex and his younger brother, 11-month-old Beau, often play with it.
Museum curators borrowed it to illustrate Combs’ childhood , adding a personal touch to the exhibit.
The exhibit officially opened to the public on July 10, 2024, and features an array of artifacts that chronicle Combs’ journey from a young boy in Asheville, North Carolina, to one of country music’s biggest stars.
Born to hardworking blue-collar parents, Combs’ love for music was evident from an early age, though he never considered it a career until he was a junior in college.
Encouraged by his mother, Combs taught himself guitar and soon began performing at local bars. Within a few short years, he moved to Nashville and signed his first major-label record deal in 2016.
His debut single, “ Hurricane ,” became a hit, paving the way for his subsequent success.
Combs, now a two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, expressed his gratitude and surprise at having his exhibit in the Hall of Fame.
“I was not a guy that you thought would have his exhibit in the Hall of Fame — and that was a lot of people’s opinions when I moved here,” he admitted.
“It was like, well, maybe he could be a songwriter, you know, good luck or whatever. Not that that was everybody’s sentiment, but to me, it’s always felt like a bit of an underdog story.”
The exhibit includes numerous personal items that fans will find fascinating.
Among them are grade school paintings that hint at Combs’ creative side, snapshots and event programs from his choral singing days, and even the actual cassette tape of Tracy Chapman’s “ Fast Car ,” a song that significantly influenced Combs’ passion for music.
There’s also the formal wear he donned for his Grammy performance with Chapman, bringing his career full circle.
One of Combs’ favorite artifacts in the exhibit is a well-worn couch from his first Nashville apartment.
“That’s the first couch me and my wife hung out on together,” he reminisced. “I mean, so many great memories on that. I watched the [Carolina] Panthers lose a Super Bowl on that couch, which was heart-wrenching.
The first songs I ever wrote as a Nashville resident were on that couch with the guys that I still write with.”
This piece of furniture, though ordinary, holds extraordinary memories for Combs, symbolizing the early days of his career and the journey he undertook to achieve his dreams. “I’m surprised that survived this long, to be honest,” Combs said, delighted that it did.
Combs acknowledges that his career has now reached a “cruising altitude” where maintaining success requires just as much effort as achieving it. This realization has driven him to take a surprising turn with his latest project, “ Fathers & Sons ,” an intimate concept album released last month.
“That’s something I wanted to do for my sons,” he explained. “I wanted them to be able to reference later on in their life that even at the height of my success they were still my number one priority.”
Song Title | Album | Release Year |
---|---|---|
“Fathers & Sons”
|
Fathers & Sons | 2024 |
“Forever After All”
|
What You See Ain’t Always What You Get | 2020 |
“Better Together”
|
What You See Is What You Get | 2019 |
This album reflects Combs’ desire to be remembered not just as a music icon but as a devoted family man. “I just want to be remembered as a good friend and a good husband and a good dad — a guy that cared, you know?” he said.
The exhibit highlights these relationships, showcasing the team and songwriters who have been instrumental in his success.
As visitors walk through the exhibit, Combs hopes they take away a sense of his humility and determination.
“That if I can do this,” he said, “anybody could do it.” This message resonates with the essence of Combs’ story — an underdog who defied the odds to achieve greatness, reminding everyone that dreams are attainable with hard work and perseverance.
Luke Combs and his wife, Nicole, welcomed their first child, a son named Tex Lawrence Combs, on June 19, 2022. The couple shared their joy and excitement on social media, marking the beginning of their journey into parenthood.
This milestone came amidst Luke’s thriving music career, adding a new dimension to his life both personally and professionally.
As of 2024, Luke Combs and his wife, Nicole, are proud parents of two children. Their first son, Tex Lawrence Combs, was born in June 2022, followed by the birth of their second son, Beau Lee Combs, in August 2023.
The couple often shares glimpses of their family life, showcasing the love and joy their sons bring to their lives.
Luke Combs’ journey to stardom began with his move to Nashville in 2014, where he immersed himself in the local music scene.
His big break came with the release of his single “Hurricane” in 2016, which quickly gained popularity and led to a major-label record deal with Columbia Nashville.
His authentic songwriting and powerful voice resonated with audiences, propelling him to become one of country music’s most prominent new artists.
Lover of hiking, biking, horror movies, cats and camping. Writer at Wide Open Country, Holler and Nashville Gab.
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