Luke Combs' Wife Nicole Hocking Inspired Multiple No. 1 Hits

Luke Combs' wife Nicole Hocking wed the country singer on Aug. 1, 2020 at their southern Florida home. Their engagement was announced in 2018 after two years of dating. The "Hurricane" and "Beer Never Broke My Heart" singer shared the news of his nuptials on social media the following day along with a couple of snapshots from the newlywed's special day.

"Yesterday was the best day of my life. I got to marry my best friend," Combs wrote. "I love you [Hocking], here's to forever."

As if that wasn't exciting enough, Luke surprised fans on Jan. 20, 2021 with sonogram photos showing the couple's first child.

"Here we go y'all! Lil dude Combs is coming this spring!" he wrote on social media. "Couldn't be more excited to start a family with this babe. It's gonna be a hell of a ride."

The proud parents welcomed Tex Lawrence Combs on June 19 —which happened to be Father's Day— and shared photos of their baby boy on Instagram. In a social media Q&A in July, Nicole revealed that their son's name ahad some personal meaning behind it. Tex was in honor of Luke's great uncle, and Lawrence was after her father.

In March 2023, the couple announced that it's expecting a second child, who'll be born less than a year and a half after older sibling Tex.

"It was a bit of a shock but I've been getting A LOT of encouraging DMs from people who have children similar months apart," Hocking wrote in an Instagram story (as shared by Taste of Country). "It's really gotten me more & more excited. I hope they're best friends like my sister and I."

Here are a few things you might not have known about Hocking and a few reasons why we love their sweet love story.

1. She Was With Luke Before He Was Famous

When Hocking and Combs started dating in 2016 after being introduced by mutual friends, he was the definition of a struggling musician. He had no record deal or publishing deal, and his manager had never managed anyone before. He was a talented singer-songwriter with a dream who was ready to pound the pavement to make it happen, despite the fact that all odds were against him.

"Everybody was like, 'Yeah, this is never gonna work,'" the country star told People in 2018. "I didn't have anything when we met."

2. She's From Florida

Hocking grew up in Fort Myers and majored in civil engineering at Florida Gulf Coast University. After school, she moved to Middle Tennessee where she eventually met Combs.

3. She Also Works in the Music Business

Though Hocking frequently spends time with Combs while he's on tour, she works for BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Nashville. Through her recruiting coordinator position at BMI, she was able to meet a ton of A-list performers in the music world and helped Combs while he was still moving up in the industry. She has also turned into a social media personality with over 900k followers on Instagram.

4. She Said "Yes" at Home

Despite being a huge star, Combs proposed to his longtime love in the privacy of their Nashville home to keep their special moment private. He announced the big news on social media with a beautiful photo in Hawaii.

"She said yes a while ago, but this is a way better place to take pictures than the kitchen," he wrote. "Can't wait to spend forever with you @nicohocking I Love You! #Mahalo"

5. She Stands Up to Haters 

She has no patience for anyone body-shaming Combs and criticizing her for being partners with "a bigger guy." In 2019 she took to Twitter to set the record straight, saying, "It's 2019. The double standard for this is absolutely disgusting."

6. She Has Inspired Some of His Music

Combs told ABC News that he wrote "Beautiful Crazy" about Hocking, which went on to win Song of the Year at the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards.

"That got me some serious brownie points. That was before we were officially dating," Combs said

The music video for another song inspired by Hocking, "Forever After All," features footage from the couple's wedding. The couple's real-life love story is also reflected in "Better Together."

7. She Really Is His Better Half

Combs has never been shy about talking about how much he loves his wife. In 2018, he posted a sweet photo of Hocking on vacation and gushed about how incredible she is.

"This is my baby and this is my favorite picture of her," he wrote. "She's gonna be mad at me for posting it probably because it's not perfect but she is. This picture encompasses everything that has made me fall in love with her. Her natural beauty, her smile, personality, and the way she lives life. She's having a rough day and I'm far away, which is the hardest part of what I do, but I'm coming home baby, I'll see you soon. I Love You."

After winning a 2019 CMA Award, he took the opportunity to praise Hocking for all of her support on Instagram.

"I won a CMA award last night but I showed up a winner because of this amazing woman," he wrote. "Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and eating cookout with me at 1:30am after the awards. I love you so much @nicohocking, you're incredible inside and out."

In 2021, Combs won the CMA's top prize, Entertainer of the Year, for the first time. He repeated the following year.

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This story was previously updated on Aug. 17, 2022.