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Luke Combs spoke about a song that serves as a heartfelt tribute to his sons, and how he hopes other parents can connect with the personal ballad.
Combs, 36, released “Whoever You Turn Out to Be,” written by Rhett Akins and Ben Stennis, on his 2024 album, Fathers & Sons. The 12-track project offered a glimpse into the country star’s life as a father. he had two young sons by that time, Tex Lawrence, who was born on Father’s Day in June 2022, and Beau Lee, who arrived in August 2023. Since then, Combs and his wife, Nicole Combs, have welcomed Baby No. 3, son Chet Wiley. They announced his arrival last month.
Weeks before Combs became a father of three, he delivered a wide-ranging interview with GQ for a cover story that published on Tuesday (March 17). It was during that conversation that Combs spoke about the emotional song and its message about unconditional love and acceptance for his children.
“Look, I’d love my kids to be super into deer hunting, and go with me all the time,” Combs said during the interview. “But if my kid wants to live in SoHo and be an abstract painter, then hey, that sounds great too—can’t wait to come up and go to the gallery. I don’t need my kids to be anything, you know what I mean? I’m not trying to fill some hole in myself with them.
Combs said when asked about his hope for “Whoever You Turn Out to Be” connecting with parents of queer children: “I am a firm believer that you don’t get to choose. You don’t get to choose who you want to be with, and I can’t imagine feeling the pressure a child would experience coming to terms with those things on their own. And then having the pressure of not knowing if your parents would be okay with that, or disown them?” Combs told GQ while shaking his head.
Throughout the cover story, Combs also spoke about his powerful Grammy Awards performance with Tracy Chapman (and the bond the two artists still share), his musical influences, how he hopes to follow examples set by Dolly Parton and Eric Church, his upcoming studio album and more. His 22-track record, The Way I Am, arrives on Friday (March 20). Find the full GQ story here. Listen to “Whoever You Turn Out to Be” below.