Luke Combs thought his career was 'over' after 'less than ideal' first encounter with Blake Shelton: 'I’m the weird guy in the room'
Luke Combs thought his career was 'over' after 'less than ideal' first encounter with Blake Shelton: 'I’m the weird guy in the room'
Sharareh DruryWed, April 1, 2026 at 9:24 PM UTC
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Credit: Terry Wyatt/Getty; Evan Mulling/CBS via Getty
Luke Combs had a less-than-ideal introduction to Blake Shelton.
The Grammy-nominated singer opened up about getting very ill before getting face time with Shelton while at an intimate gathering on a Mississippi farm owned by Ryman Hospitality Executive Chairman Colin Reed. Combs discussed the embarrassing scenario during a private event to promote his upcoming Las Vegas bar, Category 10, per PEOPLE.
While Shelton and a bevy of music executives were enjoying their time on the retreat, Combs felt like he was "the weird guy in the room that's sick."
"I'm the new guy, nobody knows who I am, and I felt like I wasn't supposed to be there," Combs said, adding that he didn't get to fully enjoy the "beautiful farm" that he described as "Mecca for a redneck."
"There are ducks in the pond, and here I am, chugging the Imodium on the toilet," Combs continued.
Luke Combs in 2025Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/FilmMagic
"It was less than ideal," Combs said, noting that he was so sick he spent most of his time in his room, eating chicken soup. "I remember thinking, like, Well, this is it. My career's over."
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Reed, whose hospitality company partnered with Combs to create Category 10, also recounted Combs' sickly situation at the private event. The exec shared how Combs redeemed himself on the final night of the three-day trip by attending a campfire hangout, albeit being "feverish."
"I'm thinking, he's been sick for 48 hours. This is going to be a monumental disaster. I can see it," Reed said.
Once Combs got a guitar in hand, he looked to Shelton and said, "I don't even have a record deal. I've never had a No. 1, but if I get a record deal, this song I'm going to play is a song I've written."
With that, Combs began to play his debut single, "Hurricane."
"I get chills even now describing it," Reed shared, "because everyone in that room went completely and utterly quiet, and it was like, holy crap, this is unbelievable. And that was the first time I met this guy."
"Hurricane" was included in Comb's debut album This One's for You and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2017.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
