Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
Whoever You Turn Out to Be appears on Luke Combs’s 2024 album Fathers & Sons.
Luke Combs aims to create music that connects with all listeners—including parents like himself.
In a cover interview with GQ Hype, Combs discussed his 2024 album Fathers & Sons and the track Whoever You Turn Out to Be, which he wrote as a pledge to his sons to love them no matter what path they choose.
“Of course, I’d love for my kids to join me in deer hunting and spend time outdoors,” Combs, 36, explained. “But if one of them wants to live in SoHo and become an abstract painter, that’s amazing too—I’d be thrilled to visit the gallery.” He added, “I don’t expect my children to be anything specific. I’m not trying to live vicariously through them or fill any void in myself.”
When asked whether he hoped the song would resonate with parents of LGBTQ+ children, Combs responded without hesitation. “I firmly believe that you don’t get to choose who you are or who you love,” the “Better Together” singer said. “I can’t imagine the pressure a child feels discovering that on their own, and then worrying whether their parents will accept them—or worse, disown them.”
The emotional connection of the song was evident during Combs’ performance at the Newport Folk Festival last July. A fan-recorded video on TikTok shows him breaking down while singing the line, “But you ain’t gotta change the world to make your daddy proud.” He paused to wipe his face before continuing as the audience cheered. “Sorry, that got to me a little,” he told the crowd, later noting, “I remember why we don’t play that one too often.”
Combs recently welcomed his third son, Chet Wiley, with wife Nicole Hocking Combs. They are also parents to Tex Lawrence, born in June 2022, and Beau Lee, born in August 2023.
Reflecting on the album, Combs told People that his children were the main inspiration behind Fathers & Sons. “I wanted them to know that even at the peak of my career, they were my top priority,” he said. “If any parent had the chance to do something like that, I’d hope they would. I did it for my kids.”