For someone who’s on the cover of TIME‘s annual issue ranking the 100 most influential people in the world, Luke Combs is decidedly low-key.
“I get sneezed on or thrown up on like every day,” the father of three tells TIME in the accompanying interview. “You catch me Monday through Friday, I’m at the house, Mr. Mom, changing dipes, giving baths, cooking dinners. … Our life is complicated but oddly simple at the same time.”
Pop star Ed Sheeran puts Luke’s down-to-earth appeal in perspective in a tribute.
“I’ve watched him move from album to album and tour to tour, constantly evolving—not just as an artist, but also as a human, and always for the better,” he tells TIME. “He’s scaled the highest heights of music while remaining loving and kind to those around him.”
“People might call that ‘normal,’ but there’s nothing normal about what Luke has achieved,” Sheeran adds.
The two collaborated on a version of Sheeran’s “Life Goes On” back in 2023.
You can check out Luke Combs’ full 2026 TIME100 feature online.
