Luke Combs and Wife, Nicole, Turn The GRAMMYs Into Elegant Date Night
“Hottest date in the whole place,” Luke gushed over his wife.
Luke Combs, Nicole Combs; Photo Courtesy Luke Combs
Luke Combs and his wife, Nicole Hocking Combs, enjoyed a date night at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday evening (Feb. 5).
The couple was all smiles as they walked hand-in-hand on the GRAMMYs red carpet ahead of “Music’s Biggest Night,” where Combs was nominated for three awards and performed his latest single, “Going, Going, Gone.”
Styled by Katy Robbins, Nicole donned an ombre Cucculelli Shaheen Degrade Crystal Medallion Maxi Dress that blended shades of rose pink champagne and blush with a deep ruby red. Her look was complimented with earrings by Elizabeth Cole Jewelry and Aquazzura shoes.
Luke opted for an all-black ensemble complete with an Eton shirt, a brocade Jack Victor suit jacket, and custom M L Leddys boots.
Hair, makeup, and grooming were provided by Cali Jeffries.
Nicole documented their night out on Instagram and shared snapshots of their stunning red carpet looks. “Grammy date night!! @lukecombs,” she wrote.
“Hottest date in the whole place,” Luke commented on the set of photos, gushing over his wife’s beauty.
During the star-studded awards show broadcast, Combs took to the GRAMMYs stage for a performance of his current single, “Going, Going, Gone.”
The country superstar was introduced by his former boss, Justin Davis, who owned the bar where he began his career in Boone, North Carolina.
“Long before Luke was a country superstar he was a bouncer for me at Town Tavern in Boone, North Carolina…. Now Luke’s playing the biggest stages in the world, including this one tonight,” Davis said just moments before Combs took to the stage.
Sans his trademark Blue Otter mesh cap, Combs appeared on stage with just a guitar. He kicked off the performance with the signature guitar lick and his band soon joined in. Combs also added strings into the tune in an effort to “try to spice it up a little bit.”
The stage mirrored an outdoor scene with a full moon and a large tree.
Ahead of the star-studded 2023 GRAMMYs, Combs admitted that he was “nervous” about performing the tune at the coveted awards show.
“I just came off doing my rehearsals and seeing everybody that’s going to be sitting out there and watching you perform…” the 32-year-old hitmaker said. “Also, my performance starts out with just me and the guitar, which is like a little nervy, ya know? I’m not the best guitar player in the world. So, It makes me a little nervous, but I’m excited about it.”
Combs, who is one of three country artists performing at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards, also told The Recording Academy that he is still in disbelief that music would become his full-time job.
“I didn’t believe this would happen,” Combs added. ”I believed my job would be music in some capacity. My job would be being in a band or singing background vocals on people’s records, or being a demo singer, or being a songwriter, working at a publishing company. I just wanted to work in music. I just wanted to have a job that never felt like a job. That was the goal.”
He continued, “It wasn’t to be famous or to be a big Garth Brooks or anything. And then those goals, kind of… as you continue to hone your craft, it’s like the statue that you’re ultimately sculpting begins to reveal itself. But you have to start by chiseling pieces away and figuring out what it looks like. So, I went into it with an open mind of, I know I can do this in some capacity, and then ultimately figuring out what that is has led me to here.”
Co-written by Combs alongside James McNair and Ray Fulcher, “Going, Going, Gone” is his current single at Country radio and has been a standout track from his third studio album, Growin’ Up, which was released in June of 2022.
“Like a runaway southbound train / Like an Arizona desert rain / Like lightning in the sky / Like fireworks in July / Like a left field home run ball / Like a whiskey shot at last call / It’s like she was made for moving on / That girl is going, going, gone,” Combs sings on the track’s chorus.
Heading into the show, Combs was nominated for three GRAMMY Awards: Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Outrunnin’ Your Memory”), Best Country Song (“Doin’ This”) and Best Country Album, for his chart-topping 2022 project, Growin’ Up.
Luke and Nicole are parents to 7-month-old Tex Lawrence, who they welcomed into the world on Father’s Day in 2022.
Attending the GRAMMYs is the first of many exciting events for Combs slated for 2023. The chart-topping singer/songwriter is set to release a brand-new 18 track album, Gettin’ Old, on March 24. The following day, Combs will launch his much-anticipated world tour at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The world tour will visit 16 stadiums across North America, including Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, Kansas City’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium and more. Hitting three continents and 16 countries, the massive outing will also stop in Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France and Belgium.
The 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards featured performances from Combs, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Chris Stapleton, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and more.
“Music’s Biggest Night” also included an all-star 50th Anniversary celebration of hip hop, which included performances by Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel & Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, The Lox, Method Man, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rahiem, Rakim, RUN-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort. LL COOL J will be on hand to introduce the segment and give a dedication to hip hop.
Several tributes also took place during the In Memoriam segment at the all-genre ceremony. Kacey Musgraves took to the stage to honor the late Loretta Lynn with a cover of Lynn’s signature hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” while Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt paid homage to late Fleetwood Mac member, Christine McVie, with a performance of McVie’s “Songbird.”
Maverick City Music and Quavo also remembered the late Migos rapper, Takeoff, with a special tribute performance of “Without You,” a song that Quavo wrote after his passing.
First Lady Jill Biden, Cardi B, James Corden, Billy Crystal, Viola Davis, Dwayne Johnson, Olivia Rodrigo, and Shania Twain, and more were on hand to present during the ceremony.
Beyoncé led the pack with nine nominations, including the prestigious Album Of The Year (Renaissance). Following behind Beyoncé are Kendrick Lamar with eight nods, Adele and Brandi Carlile with seven nominations as well as Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, Harry Styles, Future, The Dream and Randy Merrill have six. For a full list of 2023 GRAMMY nominees click HERE.
Prior to the GRAMMY Awards, several winners were revealed during the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in the City Of Angels. For a full list of winner, visit live.GRAMMY.com.
Co-hosted by GRAMMY-nominated comedian Trevor Noah, the 2023 GRAMMYs broadcasted live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 5 at 8/7c on CBS. The coveted awards ceremony also streamed live and on demand via Paramount+.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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