NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Country Music Hall of Fame® (CMHOF) and Museum on Wednesday celebrated the opening of its newest exhibition Luke Combs: The Man I Am. The exhibit traces Combs’ story from singing with his school choirs in North Carolina to headlining stadiums worldwide. The exhibit, which opened on Thursday, is included with museum admission. Combs’ exhibit will go til June 2025.
Besides the CMHOF staff and Sony executives, Luke Comb’s wife and parents, his high school choir teacher, and his pals from Town Tavern in Boone, North Carolina, where he first began performing, were in attendance for the unveiling.
Combs’ choir teacher Janice Bryant said, “He came into my choir as a 14-year-old, ninth grader. I taught him every single day of high school for four years. He sang in my advanced choir and the small magical ensemble. He was the star of musicals. He was an outstanding singer. And I always knew something good was going to come from his music and singing. I didn’t know what it would be, but I encouraged and pushed him. And he has perfect pitch.”
Several of the artists I have featured have co-written songs with Combs, and I have long been a fan of his clever lyric writing. Bryant agreed, “They’re from his heart. Especially this last album, Fathers and Sons. I cried through the whole thing.”
Before Combs headlined tours, sold-out arenas, and stadiums, he played small shows in bars, clubs, and theaters for several years. While attending college at Appalachian State, he was encouraged by his mother to try learning guitar. Once he got good enough to cover a few songs, the owner of Boone’s Town Tavern, Justin Davis, let him play shows alongside their pal, Adam Church. To celebrate the exhibit’s unveiling, they were all in attendance, and Combs thanked Davis for “letting me be the worst bouncer your bar ever saw.”
Combs had his first country radio #1 in May 2017 with his song “Hurricane.” His debut album from the same year, This One’s for You, which included “Hurricane,” spent 50 weeks atop the country albums chart, tying Shania Twain’s record for most weeks at #1. In 2019, Combs became the first artist to top the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his first five singles, extending the record to 13 consecutive #1 songs. Through April 2024, he has amassed a total of 16 solo Billboard Country Airplay chart-toppers.
Other mega hits for Combs include “When It Rains, It Pours,” She Got the Best of Me,” and his memorable cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”
The exhibit at the CMHOF includes stage wear, tour memorabilia, manuscripts, set lists, instruments, photographs, posters, childhood memorabilia, and more. It also displays his many awards, including his two “CMA Entertainer of the Year” Awards from 2021 and 2022. The official exhibit playlist is now available here.
The Country Music Hall of Fame has long been one of my favorite places to visit in Nashville. The hallowed Hall of Fame rotunda is magical. If you haven’t been, be sure to put it on your bucket list. If you have visited in the past, now, with Luke Combs’ new exhibit, you must go again.
More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.
