A very well-deserved honor. Luke Combs is a global country music superstar, who racks up #1 single after #1 single, sells out venues all over the world, right up there with Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan, he’s the biggest thing in the business. But he got his start in the college town of Boone, North Carolina, when he was in college at Appalachian State University back around 2011-ish. That’s when he met his now close friend, local musician Adam Church (who was featured in his ‘Doin’ This’ music video), and they stared playing as a duo around town. The rest, as they say, is history, and Luke returned to Boone yesterday to receive an honorary degree of music from Appalachian State University during Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies. The honor recognizes him for his historic achievements in the music industry, as well as his commitment to using his platform as a catalyst for service and community impact, according to the Watauga Democrat. Luke attended Appalachian from 2008 to 2012, and he left just 21 or 22 credit hours shy of completing his Criminal Justice degree to pursue his career in country music… and it has all worked out incredibly well for him, and he has a degree now too. I’ve heard him remark before that, understandably, his parents weren’t too thrilled about him not finishing school, so I’m sure they were very happy about too, and they were in attendance as well as Nicole’s wife, Luke, who shared some behind-the-scenes phots from the day: You can see Luke in the full cap and gown regalia, and its very well-deserved and it looked like Luke was very happy to be there and get a degree from the school he loves so much: View this post on Instagram He also shared a photo from the ceremony, captioning his picture with a simple: “Hell yeah.” App State Chancellor Heather Norris said during the ceremony. “In every sense, Luke Combs represents the character and heart of a Mountaineer. His story inspires our students to dream big, work hard, and always remember where they came from. He represents the very best of our university community: a life lived with purpose, driven by a commitment to excellence and a genuine care for others.” A native of North Carolina, Combs was born in the Charlotte area and raised in Asheville, where he attended A.C. Reynolds High School, and his love for music was born in Boone as he was inspired by another app state graduate, Eric Church. In addition to his country career, Luke has continued to give back to his hometown community, as he put together the “Concert for Carolina” Hurricane Helene benefit concert at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte, alongside Eric Church, and they raised of $24 million for the Western North Carolina community which was devastated by the storm. Combs has also done a lot to put Appalachian in the spotlight, notably returning to campus to serve as the celebrity guest picker for the first-ever appearance of ESPN’s College GameDay in Boone. He often speaks about his time in college and how much his time in Boone meant to him, and as a fellow App grad, I can tell you that we’re all incredibly proud of him and it’s awesome to see the University honoring him in this way. He’s one of our absolute best, and he certainly makes the rest of us Mountaineers look good because of all he’s accomplished and how much he’s done to give back. Congratulations, Luke, you earned it. View this post on Instagram The post Luke Combs Receives Honorary Degree Of Music From Appalachian State University first appeared on Whiskey Riff.