Last year, Luke Combs got Tracy Chapman to break a decade of silence by performing "Fast Car" with him at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
For his next trick, Combs is embarking on a mission to win over fans outside the confines of the country music apparatus — including those who, as he once did, eschew the genre.
The "Beer Never Broke My Heart" performer has spent the last seven years using his blue-collar work ethic and earnest songwriting to sell millions of tickets and build stardom within country's club-to-arena-to-stadium touring circuit.
His 2025 schedule, however, hits harder than the Category 10 "Hurricane" that names both his first hit single and the recently-opened 70,000-square-foot downtown Nashville honky-tonk near Nissan Stadium. And is chock full of major festivals that will bring fans from virtually every musical genre: Bonnaroo, Boston Calling, Lollapalooza — even the Newport Folk Festival.
"The next frontier is expanding my limits to embrace people who want to destigmatize country music," Combs said, while preparing recently for a Jazzfest headlining gig in New Orleans. "It's a fresh, different challenge."
