Luke Combs scored a coveted spot as one of the headliners for Bonnaroo, bringing along a close friend to share the stage with him. Combs surprised the crowd by bringing out Miranda Lambert to sing "Outrunnin' Your Memory."
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The song was released in 2022, from Combs' Growin' Up album.
Not only does Lambert sing on "Outrunnin' Your Memory," but she also wrote it with Combs, along with Dan Isbell.
"It's kind of an interesting story," Combs tells Country Now. "You know, we had talked about writing before in passing. And I've always been a huge fan of her writing. Obviously, man, I think she's one of the best artists, writers of, you know, not only our generation but of all time."
Why Luke Combs' Bonnaroo Performance Matters
Combs' performance at Bonnaroo matters because he is a country artist headlining the all-genre festival, but it is one of his few performances in 2025. The North Carolina native is taking much of this year off, to spend time with his two sons.
"I want to be home with my kids," Combs tells People. "I want to see my kids grow up and I want them to know that they're important to me."
In fact, Combs doesn't have another date on his calendar until the Newport Folk Festival at the end of July. But rest assured, Combs has big plans for touring next year.
"I got a big tour coming next year," Combs hints on social media. "I just kind of finalized a lot of the details on that here in the last week or so. So new record coming up soon, new tour coming up. I'm just excited. ... I'm back doing stuff and being around, and obviously spending time at home."
Combs is also gearing up for a big 2026 in another way. After years of being one of the biggest superstars in country music, Combs is ready to expand the genre.
"The next frontier is expanding my limits to embrace people who want to destigmatize country music," Combs tells The Tennessean. "It's a fresh, different challenge."
Combs admits he never would have even considered such a bold direction, if not for Tracy Chapman's support of his "Fast Car" release.
"I don't think any of this is possible without Tracy's stamp of approval," he adds.
