Country Star Luke Combs Gets Emotional Mid-Song During Live Performance

Country star Luke Combs had an emotional moment during his performance at the 2025 Newport Folk Festival, breaking down mid-song while singing “Whoever You Turn Out to Be,” a track from his 2024 album “Fathers and Sons.”

The 35-year-old artist was performing at Fort Adams State Park on Saturday, July 26, when he became visibly emotional while delivering the heartfelt lyrics: “But you ain’t gotta change the world to make your daddy proud.”

‘I Was in the Moment There,’ Says Combs

In a video shared on TikTok, the crowd showed their support with applause as Combs paused, wiped his face with a towel, and then addressed the audience.

“Sorry. That got me a little bit,” Combs said.

Despite the brief pause, Combs gathered himself and finished the song. Afterward, he told fans, “I remember why we don’t play that one very much,” prompting laughter from the crowd. He followed up with: “I apologize… I don’t apologize, because I was in the moment there.”

The fan-favorite country singer, known for hits like “Beautiful Crazy,” has been open about the deep personal meaning behind “Fathers and Sons,” an album he said reflects his journey as a father. In a May interview with People, Combs spoke about life as a dad to his two young sons, Tex and Beau.

“I don’t even think [my sons] know what I do,” he said. “My son Tex is almost 3 now. He’ll recognize my voice on the radio, and he will know ‘That’s Dad,’ but he doesn’t understand all of this.”

Combs added: “He probably just thinks everybody’s dad has a single on the radio, you know what I mean? To him, it’s normal — and I kind of want to keep it like that.”

Fans Show Support for the Singer’s Vulnerability

Fans applauded Combs’ emotional vulnerability, flooding the comments with support and praise.

“The reason his music is so good — he feels all what he sings the same way,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Oh I love him so much! This song makes me cry too! 😭🥰”

Another added, “Seeing Luke being emotional reminded me of how much I love his Fathers and Sons album. As someone who’s lost their own dad, an album like this means a lot to me and the songs are very healing to listen to.”

Combs’ raw performance only further reinforced his commitment to keeping family and authenticity at the heart of his music.

Speaking to People about his touring schedule, Combs said, “I want my kids to know that my job is not more important than they are. You know what I mean?”