Jay Shetty & Luke Combs ON The Man Behind Success

How do you reconcile feeling like a normal father and husband when you are one of the most popular country artists in the world?

In this On Purpose episode, Jay Shetty welcomed Luke Combs, a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum country artist. Combs is widely known for his deep commitment to his family and fans, and for a level of humility that often precedes him in the industry. Today, he opened up about his personal battles with mental health, his unconventional rise to fame, and how he manages to remain a present father and husband despite his popularity.

Wealth Exacerbates the Character

Luke Combs admitted that being called "the nice guy" and "famous" makes him uncomfortable, although he accepts it as part of his reality. However, he believes that reaching a certain level of influence or wealth doesn't change people, but rather it amplifies who they actually are deep down.

Staying grounded comes easily to him; he told Jay Shetty that he believes it's fundamentally easy to choose kindness. He is aware that every interaction leaves an impression, regardless of who the other person is, and he carries this philosophy into his home with his children.

From Dreading Work to Purpose

Before fame, Luke Combs went through a period that he described to Jay Shetty as "aimlessly floating". He explained that he was merely checking the boxes others expected of him: graduating from school and enrolling in college. While the social part was enjoyable, Combs didn't feel drawn to the academic side of college.

Combs initially majored in business, and then switched to criminal justice, which he found more interesting. He told Jay Shetty that as graduation approached, he began to feel a sense of dread because he was expected to enter the workforce, be miserable for 30 years, and then retire.

However, toward the end of his studies, he picked up a guitar, and that moment changed his life forever. Music immediately felt like his calling, and his identity shifted from someone who felt he had no specialized skills to someone who could contribute meaningfully to the world.

Living with "Pure O" OCD

Luke Combs opened up to Jay Shetty about his struggles with a subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often referred to as "Purely Obsessional" or "Pure O". He had a great childhood, and his hardworking parents were always supportive, yet he spent much of his youth suffering in silence.

Because Combs's compulsions were mental without physical manifestation, they remained invisible to those around him. He described his struggles as a perfect, idyllic room, but with a single pile of dog feces on the floor. No matter what, even if the lights go out, he couldn't concentrate on anything else, ignoring the beauty of the room, because the dog feces would occupy his mind entirely.

Combs told Jay Shetty that he ruminated for 95% of his waking hours; the themes would shift, and the topic that kept him scared for weeks or months would suddenly get replaced by another intrusive thought. As the new theme took hold, the old one would seem ridiculous, but the new topic will cause him distress nonetheless.

Mastering His Own Mind

Luke Comb's diagnosis came when he was 19 or 20 years old. He told Jay Shetty that he became obsessed with understanding his disease, which allowed him to become an expert on the topic. By studying his thought patterns, he learned how to combat them and how to keep himself from slipping into those dark spirals 99% of the time.

Even a decade ago, this form of OCD wasn't considered real, and Luke Combs believes this is incredibly dangerous and damaging for those who suffer from this condition. He told Jay Shetty that he feels responsible for speaking about the Pure O variant of OCD, and hopes that, by opening up about his experience, he can be a light for a young teenager who currently feels the same hopelessness he once felt.

Putting Family First

Combs shared with Jay Shetty that his parents' work ethic profoundly influenced him. His father worked 40 hours a week as a bank maintenance man, coming home to mow the grass and provide for the family. His parents worked jobs they didn't necessarily enjoy to ensure that he would have a better life, which, in his view, is a sacrifice of love.

While his parents sacrificed by doing something they didn't like, Luke Combs sets aside what he loves to be present for his wife and children. He admitted to Jay Shetty that he is in a position to be hands-on, preparing breakfast and changing diapers, and he wants his children to know they are his top priority, even at the peak of his career.

An Unintentional Revolutionary

While Combs rose to fame rapidly, he feels like he has been doing it for a year and a hundred years at once. He was one of the first artists to successfully use social media platforms as primary marketing tools. However, he believes it was luck and that he was in the right place at the right time, when people were receptive to the medium that propelled him to fame.

When he finally moved to Nashville in 2016, Combs already had an undeniable fan base and amazing sales numbers, which allowed him to maintain a level of authenticity and control that was rare at the time. He told Jay Shetty that his first record consisted of songs written with friends he had met at bars.

Combs is grateful for the organic community he built with his core crew. Today, this is no longer the same environment, he noted, since artists might miss out on the "boots on the ground" Nashville culture because they can now achieve success from their parents' house via social media.

Missing His Son's Birth

When Combs's second son was born, he was on a tour in Australia, a trip he had planned before learning that his wife was pregnant. He explained to Jay Shetty that he would always prioritize family over work, but his son was born two weeks early, making it impossible for him to return to the States in time for his birth.

Luke Combs’s wife texted him at 6 AM Sydney time that she was going to the hospital; by the time he woke up and called her, the baby was nearly there. He admitted that he felt crushed to be the only person not there for his son's arrival. Even getting on the next plane would have been too late; he would have missed it anyway.

Combs struggled with guilt for a long time, beating himself up for missing the moment. He told Jay Shetty that he now dreads the moment when he will have the conversation with his son about why he was there for the births of his other children but not for his. However, he now understands that life doesn't always go as planned and that this event was out of his control.

Sharing His Success

Sometimes, Luke Combs feels guilty about his wealth. He told Jay Shetty that he has a complicated relationship with success and sometimes wonders why he deserves it more than anyone else. Combs strives to remain the same person he was before, even if his bank account shows a larger balance now, but he worries that his success might make him unrelatable to the very fans who supported him.

Combs's song Rich Man features a conversation between a stressed-out businessman and an old farmer in overalls. He explained to Jay Shetty that the song's core message is that money can't buy time or hold your family's hand, which is something extremely important to Combs. In Days Like These, he attempted to capture life's rare, perfect moments of alignment, when birds are singing, and everything seems to flow. Money isn't everything, and Combs is striving to help others through his success, like rebuilding an entire food bank in his hometown after it was destroyed by a hurricane.

Honoring His Fans

While on tour in Bangor, Maine, Luke Combs's voice began to fail. Despite taking a steroid shot, which usually helped him in emergency cases, his voice wouldn't cooperate. He told Jay Shetty that he refused to cancel the concert and chose to appear before his fans, who had paid for tickets and traveled to see him live.

Instead of having his team announce his health issue, he went on stage and did it himself. He apologized in advance for the shorter performance and announced he would refund them for this concert. Combs told Jay Shetty that while the crowd initially booed him, he later learned that many fans donated their refunds to him or to charity because they appreciated his honesty.

Remaining Humble While Evolving

Luke Combs credits his wife, Nicole, as being one of the biggest reasons for his success. He told Jay Shetty that she has been there for him through every peak and valley along the way. She challenges him, roasts him for playing video games, and pushes him out of his comfort zone, expanding his horizons.

Now, at 35, Combs admitted to Jay Shetty that he feels more comfortable in his own skin than ever before. He believes it's crucial for his next steps to stay true to the country genre while challenging himself at mixed-genre music festivals like Bonnaroo or Lollapalooza, where he can showcase the beauty of country music to the world.

Luke Combs tries to stay as down-to-earth as possible, despite his musical success. He told Jay Shetty that he still tips based on the vibes, packs his own bags when he travels, and goes to the grocery store every week. To him, it's important to remain humble and prioritize his family.

More From Jay Shetty

Listen to the entire On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast episode “LUKE COMBS: The Man Behind The Success (Marriage, Fatherhood & Life With OCD)” now in the iTunes store or on Spotify. For more inspirational stories and messages like this, check out Jay’s website at jayshetty.me.