There are a couple of things here that may surprise you: The fact that 2013 was 11 years ago, and that Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson‘s friendship goes back that far.
In recent chats with both Combs and Wilson for Taste of Country Nights: On Demand, they’ve shared tidbits about their longstanding friendship. At the 2024 ACM Awards, the two were both up for ACM Entertainer of the Year, and when we asked Combs about Wilson, he had some big thoughts.
What Does Luke Combs Think About Lainey Wilson?
“She was just always a hustler, man,” the “Hurricane” singer recalls. “She’s always been so respected, in my opinion. We have a lot of the same mutual friends, we kind of came up in the same writing circles and hung out at the same places.”
That they did: Wilson managed to pull out a photo of when the two now-superstars met in 2013.
Lainey Wilson & Luke Combs
Wilson explains in an Instagram video how the two started kicking it as songwriters so many yeas ago.
“He used to come over to my camper-trailer and we would write music. It’s so crazy how life is a full circle,” she says, recalling how they used to write together as fresh-faced newcomers.
Now, both Wilson and Combs are megastars — they say Nashville is a 10-year-town, meaning you have to put in ten years of hustling and singing for little-to-no money, writing music that might not get recorded, before you finally get a breakthrough.
Eleven years later, both stars are riding massive success.
Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today’s top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more!
See Pictures of Luke Combs’ New Nashville Bar, Category 10
Luke Combs is ready to join the ranks of country artists who have opened their own bars in Nashville’s Broadway district. The honky-tonk will be called Category 10, playing off of his debut single “Hurricane.” Although true hurricanes are categorized no higher than a Category 5, Combs opted to double the intensity with a 10 ranking. It’s a nod to his career, really.
Category 10 will be anything but small: The bar will be the largest entertainment venue on the strip, featuring the area’s biggest dance floor and rooftop. Combs is also including more intimate spaces to accommodate young talented singers and songwriters.
32 Times Lainey Wilson Stunned in Bell Bottoms
Lainey Wilson has exploded onto the country scene in the past few years. In 2023, she became the CMA Entertainer of the Year.
Ever since she stepped onto the big stages, Wilson has always rocked a pair of bell bottoms. It has become her signature look. Let’s take a look at 32 times Lainey Wilson stunned in bell bottoms.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul
20 Lainey Wilson Songs Every Fan Knows by Heart
From small town to the big city, Lainey Wilson has come a long way in her music career. A talented songwriter and an esteemed vocalist, it was only a matter of time before she got her time in the spotlight.
What makes Wilson so captivating is her ability to connect with her fans through her music. She writes songs that are honest and sings them with conviction. Wilson also remains one of the most humble individuals in the game, which only makes her more magnetic.