How a $200 Paycheck Kickstarted Luke Combs’ Illustrious Career

At times, being a musician can be a thankless job. You work and work only to get denied and denied. That’s the name of the game, but if your love for the craft transcends success, financial stability, and fame, then it doesn’t matter. However, some form of validation here and there never hurts, but this only happens on rare occasions. Though when it does, confidence flourishes, and that is exactly what happened to Luke Combs when he made his first paycheck playing music.

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Luke Combs is currently one of the biggest artists not only in country music but in all of music. Like everybody in this business, Combs also has an origin story that encompasses humble beginnings and true elbow grease. Amidst his success story is his first-ever gig, which came about rather unexpectedly, as Combs was not an active musician. Rather, he was a bouncer at the bar beneath his apartment.

From the Front Door to the Stage—How Luke Combs Secured His First Gig

While Luke Combs was cutting his teeth, he served as a bouncer at one of the local bars in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. Given that he always had the desire to play music, he asked his boss one time if he could play a set of his songs. After some negotiation regarding contractual issues and apartment tenets, Combs’ boss still didn’t agree. So, Combs went to the bar across the street and booked a show. He charged patrons a dollar for entry.

Combs recalled the story in detail on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2019. Combs told Kimmel, “I booked the show on a Wednesday night. My first show I ever played, I charged a dollar for a ticket. I made $200. 200 people showed up.” “That was more money than I made at both of my jobs that week,” and “So I went across the street the next day, and I told my boss, ‘Hey, I played a show next door, 200 people came on Wednesday. I can either keep doing that or I can do that here,’” added Combs.

Needless to say, Combs’ boss agreed and decided to go against the lease agreement he had in place. Consequently, Luke Combs got his first steady gig, and the smell of success loomed in. Subsequently, well, you know what happened after that. So, if you are an aspiring musician, maybe take a page out of Combs’ book. It won’t be given to you, instead, you have to be hungry, opportunistic, and clever.

Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum