LanceCombs.com - Biography for Lance Combs

Country music fans have a new addiction. Introducing Lance Combs, a new generation of old school outlaw country with a voice as smooth and rich as Kentucky bourbon and a message as sincere as a grandmother’s wisdom.

Lance Combs was destined to develop a rugged and adventurous lifestyle from the start. Born in St. Joseph, Mo., a city who proudly boasts its heritage as the place where “The Pony Express began and Jesse James ended!”. He left the hospital wearing his first shoes, a pair of cowboy boots his father purchased at the local western store, and headed home riding shotgun on his mother’s lap in his parents convertible Carmen Ghia. His life has been a wild ride that almost never got started. While leaving the hospital his parents’ car was totaled by a drunk driver. Thanks to his dad’s quick reflexes the family walked away intact. Since that auspicious beginning, Lance’s ride hasn’t slowed down, and now he's released his second CD, ' The Good Times Still To Come.’

Lance has managed to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground even while living a larger-than-life lifestyle; due largely to his upbringing on a horse ranch in Stanberry, Mo. His youth was filled with hunting, fishing, and listening to Country music legends like Waylon Jennings, George Strait and Merle Haggard. He traveled throughout the country with his father, who raised champion cutting horses, going to rodeos, horse shows, and visiting ranchers with whom his father did business. Combs was influenced not only by the salty no nonsense cowboys and ranchers he and his father did business with, but also by stories of his fiddle-playing grandfather, Hance, and his twin brother, Vance, who played on the radio before television replaced radio as America's main form of entertainment.

Combs built a reputation early in his own professional life, building a construction company that gained him national recognition as a savvy hard worker. Always looking for new challenges, he even spent time as a professional gambler, his success leading him to be banned as a blackjack player from many casinos. Like the drifters Waylon and Willie so often sang about, he could never shake the yearning to be closer to his roots, a rugged cowboy with a gypsy heart. It was this that lead him back to music. When asked why he gave up so much to gamble his life on a music career, Combs matter-of-factly stated, “Because it’s the unclimbable mountain.” While not always following the path traveled by others, his independent attitude and life experiences give him the ability to connect with his audience, who find his charm and charisma irresistible.

His career has run the gauntlet, paying his dues on the road playing bars, casinos, dancehalls, fairs and sharing the stage with some of country music’s biggest names; Lance feels just as comfortable playing for a few people or a few thousand people. His passion to make new friends and fans has found him in some memorable situations – Oftentimes he and other band members would head to a local Waffle House after a show with guitars in hand to drum up money to buy breakfast and sell CDs. After one such late night concert they landed in jail after a Waffle House employee unfamiliar with their unofficial “Waffle House Band” status called the police on them for disturbing the peace. The charges were dismissed after he and the band attempted to plead insanity; certain there was no peace to be disturbed at Waffle House at three in the morning. Fans find playfulness, hope, and even redemption in his songs, which illustrate the twists and turns along life’s winding road. According to Combs singing isn’t just about entertaining; it’s about connecting with fans. “I hope my music leaves a lasting impression that makes people feel good about life."

Combs’ first album, “Soundtrack of Life,” which combined the memories of his youth with today’s best Country Rock, has often been described as incredibly real and deeply personal. In 2006, Lance was recognized as a Top 10 finisher in Yahoo's Global Talent Search. In that same year his video for 'Short For Gone' won a Telly, the prestigious award given over the past 30 years to recognize the best film and video productions. Lance’s most recent CD, 'Good Times Still To Come.', has not only been featured in Country Weekly’s Scoops section, but has also been endorsed as well as promoted by Cabela’s. Though he hasn’t gotten an official Waffle House sponsorship…yet, he has picked up endorsement deals from companies like Fender and struck a unique distribution deal with Cabela's. Being a lifetime hunter and fisherman, Cabela's is a big deal to a guy like Combs. The agreement was driven by the title track to his new CD, The Good Times Still To Come, a song about a boy dreaming of adventure’s he and his best friend (his dog) could find while reading an old Cabela’s catalog by the fire.

Both of Combs’ independently released CD's, 'Soundtrack of Life' and 'Good Times Still To Come' were co-produced with Mark Lambert, the Grammy-Award winning engineer of The Horse Whisperer, and Grammy-Nominated producer for Ronnie Milsap. Lambert works with artists such as Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Billy Gilman, Leon Russel, Randy Houser and a host of others. Combs also notes celebrity voice coach Rene Grant-Williams as one of the major influences on his career. Grant-Williams works closely with stars such as Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana), Christina Aguilara and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. That puts Lance Combs in some company with big boots to fill. Since he was born in a pair of boots Lance will likely be up to the task. The 'Soundtrack of Life' is only available on his website LanceCombs.com. 'Good Times Still To Come' is available through Cabela’s stores nationwide and at cabelas.com.

Awards & Recognition