Luke Combs is a young phenomenon in the world of country music. Carrying a string of hits under his belt after a mere three years in the business, Combs' hard work has paid off in rewarding ways.

The singer was just 21 credits shy of graduation when he left Appalachian State University to chase his music dreams in Nashville—aspirations he was so determined to make a reality that he had no backup plan in the event that his wishes didn't pan out.

"There was never a plan B. I don't think that's a smart thing, but I think anybody that kind of gets to to this point, there really isn't a plan B," he shares with Taste of Country. "To me, a plan B is like 'well maybe it's not going to work,' and for me that just wasn't an option."

Combs was on an entirely different career path before transitioning to country music. The singer was originally studying to be a detective, and at one point was aiming to be in the police force. But he ultimately determined that wasn't his career path, a decision that was another catalyst leading him to music full time.

"I wanted to be a homicide detective. It would've been very cool, but I realized that I didn't have the gumption to be a police officer for like 10 years before that," he explains. "I just wasn't cut out for that part of the job. I think more of the solving the mystery was more intriguing to me than going out and walking the beat."

Combs hasn't looked back since leaving his college career behind, a leap of faith that's reaped many musical successes. He gained a considerable fan following with his two self-released projects before his debut single "Hurricane" landed at country radio, making him the first artist to have a multi-week chart-topping debut since Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise."

This distinction helped catapult his debut studio album This One's For You to the top of the charts, as well as led the way to him booking his first headlining tour. He admits his future would be unclear if he hadn't pursued his passion for music.

"I don't know what I would be doing," he muses. "I haven't given it that much thought, but I'd probably be working a job that I hate, to be really honest with you."

The "She Got the Best of Me" star reached another landmark when he was named New Artist of the Year at the 2018 CMA Awards. He begins headlining arenas on the 2019 Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour that launches on Jan. 31 in Birmingham, Ala.

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