Luke Combs released his debut album, What You See Is What You Get in 2017 and launched one of the fastest-climbing careers in country music. Before that, though, the “Hurricane” singer/songwriter was playing country covers in bars in his home state of North Carolina. Recently, Randy Houser saw a video of Combs performing his hit “How Country Feels” and loved every minute of it.
Videos by American Songwriter
The video shows a young Combs in his signature Columbia fishing shirt with a longneck bottle in his hand on stage at the Grey Eagle in Ashville, North Carolina. The original clip has been floating around YouTube for about eight years. So, it was shot before Combs made his major label debut.
Houser took to TikTok to duet Combs’ cover of his chart-topper. “First time seeing this, love it,” he wrote in the caption. In the comments, Houser added, “Single-handedly the best voice in country music.” In the video, he jokingly acted like he wasn’t familiar with Combs. “Who is that? Who is this guy?” he asked. “Dude we got to sign this guy immediately. He sounds better than I do,” he added.
[RELATED: American Made: A Q&A With Randy Houser]
Houser squints at the screen, reading the sign hanging behind Combs on the stage. “Grey Eagle. We got to sign Grey Eagle immediately. Dude, Grey Eagle, we’re coming after you, dawg. Limos, private jets, all the stuff, all the women. Grey Eagle, you’re the man!” he joked.
Luke Combs Picked the Perfect Randy Houser Cover
Written by Vicky McGehee, Wendell Mobley, and Neil Thrasher, Randy Houser released “How Country Feels” as the lead single and title track from his 2012 album. It was Houser’s seventh single overall and his first single to top the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Before that How Country Feels, Houser released two albums—Anything Goes and They Call Me Cadillac. The second single from his debut, “Boots On” peaked at No. 2. The rest of his early outings fell short of the top 10 with three missing the top 40 altogether. How Country Feels set Houser up for a string of hits.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
