Even when he was in college, music was calling Luke Combs's name. Combs attended Appalachian State University, in his native North Carolina. Combs thought he might join a fraternity, and was in fact invited to join Kappa Alpha Order. But from the beginning, the schedule conflicted with his musical ambitions, so he abruptly passed on the honor.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"On Big Brother reveal night, we had a concert for the a cappella group, the same night that was gonna be at the same time," Combs recalls on The Dog Walk podcast (via American Songwriter).
Combs admits he was "already kind of over" the idea of pledging even before he realized he had a conflict.
"Like, what is this? What are we, 10 years old? I'm not doing that."
"Why does anyone really join a fraternity? To go to parties and meet chicks is kind of the deal, right?" he continues. "So I tell the guys, 'Hey, I really gotta do this concert tonight.' Because there's only like 12 people in the group, it's not like there's 1,000 guys in the a cappella group. I'm like, 'Your boy's got solos. I can't just not go.'"
Why Luke Combs Knows He Made The Right Choice
Combs was given an ultimatum that night, to either quit the a cappella group or not join the fraternity. Combs chose singing, and has never regretted that decision.
"It was the idea that was making me pick one or the other. ... There was no wiggle room on that thing," the father of two recalls. "And I was just like, 'I kind of already sing, and I'm already kind of good at that. All I'm doing with you guys is paying to be your friend, which I already have a lot of friends anyways.' It just didn't line up."
Combs, of course, went on to become a country music superstar. He now has even bigger goals, of expanding the genre with his music.
"The next frontier is expanding my limits to embrace people who want to destigmatize country music," Combs tells The Tennessean. "It's a fresh, different challenge."
The father of two is working on new music, after recently releasing his latest single, "Back In The Saddle." The song debuted in the Top 25.
