Drew Baldridge wasn’t sure what to do. He and his friends, Adam Sanders and Jordan Walker, wrote a song called “Tough People.” He wanted to release that message out in the world as the follow-up to his chart-topping “Somebody’s Daughter.” But he received a text saying that Luke Combs wanted to record it.
“I was like, ‘That’s awesome,’ but also like, ‘Crap,’” Baldridge said. “It was a little bittersweet.”
Combs recorded “Tough People,” and Baldridge went to the studio to watch. The superstar asked to change a few lines, adding lyrics about his grandmother. He got a co-writing credit, but Baldridge wanted the song back.
“I was so excited for him to put it out, and then life happened,” Baldridge said. The exchange happened about a year ago, and Baldridge said Combs is still completing the album. “‘Tough People’ would have been a part of that. It was hard, but I called him and asked for it back.”
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Drew Baldridge Asked Luke Combs to Give His Song Back
Combs was gracious, Baldridge said, telling him it was his song and he should have it back.
“Luke said, ‘I’ll root you on all the way to No. 1,’” Baldridge said. “He’s been super kind.”
He admitted it’s “super scary” to think about because he “just took a song from one of the biggest artists in country music.”
“It was a message that became my fight song,” Baldridge said. “You think of the hook of this song, it says, ‘Hard work pays off. Good beats evil. Tough times make tough people.”
When Baldridge and his team were promoting his “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” to country radio with no label, “tough times make tough people” was their motto. The phrase was particularly prominent in the early days when country radio refused to play the song without seeing higher numbers.
“My radio team that I hired, they would just say, ‘You know what they say? Tough times make tough people. It just became our fight song. I was like, ‘If we pull off a No. 1 with ‘Daughter,’ this has to be the follow-up.’ I’m so glad it is. This song has been more than just a single at radio.”
Tough Times Make Tough People
Not only did “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” go to No. 1 – but Baldridge made history with it. “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” is the first self-released single to reach No. 1 on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart. The sentimental ballad has amassed over 1.1 billion streams and impressions across all platforms. It is the highest-charting self-funded song ever on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Its success led Baldridge to team with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville/Stoney Creek for “Tough People,” which is currently Top 15 and climbing at country radio.
Baldridge, who has written more than 500 songs that have been recorded by artists including Chase Matthew and Bailey Zimmerman, has also made “Tough People” a movement. To return Combs’ kindness in giving the song back, Baldridge started the Tough People Fund. Operated through GoFundMe, the Tough People Fund has accumulated over $8,000 for a 4-year-old cancer patient, Baker. Baker has a rare, aggressive form of cancer called ETP T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
“The odds are stacked against her,” Baldridge said on GoFundMe. “But here’s the truth: Baker is not a statistic. She is a fighter. A warrior with an unstoppable spirit and the unwavering support of her family, friends, and community.”
Drew Baldridge: “I Love Helping People”
Baldridge plans to see the little girl this weekend at his Fayetteville, North Carolina show.
Then, he’s planning to start the second Tough People Fund for another family. He wants to continue raising money to help others around the song.
“I love helping people, and I love music that says something and helps people out,” Baldridge said. “The amount of messages that I’ve gotten saying, ‘Hey, this became our fight song for our little girl fighting cancer,’ or a tornado or hurricane destroyed their home. They say, ‘We listen to this and know that we can get through it.’”
Photo Courtesy of Drew Baldridge
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