“NBC TODAY’s Sunday Sitdown LIVE with Willie Geist” has struck a new note in Music City.
On Jan. 19, journalist Geist brought the live interview show, a new extension of the “Sunday TODAY” feature, to Nashville’s City Winery to sit down with country singer Luke Combs.
While the segment has been a nine-year staple on the show, the New York-based live interviews have only had three guests so far: Nate Bargatze, Ina Garten and Jim Gaffigan.
Geist, a proud Vanderbilt alumni, thought Combs would be the perfect first Nashville interviewee.
“Let’s be honest, there’s nobody bigger in country music than Luke Combs,” Geist said in an interview before the show. “I’d interviewed him about six years ago … he was on the cusp of the full blow-up. We thought it’d be a fun time to check back in with him.”
This year, Combs will embark on his “My Kinda Saturday Night” world tour and release a new album in March.
While an army of fans at the sold-out event showed up for Combs, just as many attendees turned out for Geist.
Audience members filed in from all over the U.S. to attend the Nashville taping, from Las Vegas to New Jersey.
The “Sunday Sitdown” segment has grown a rabid fanbase over the years.
The show’s “Sunday Mugshots,” viewer-submitted photos in scenic locations featuring branded mugs, have reached all corners the world: The David statue in Florence, Italy, Mount Kilimanjaro, an Alaskan cruise.
“I think our audience is so connected to the show with these mug shots we do,” Geist said.
“We recognize that people felt a special connection to our show and particularly to these interviews. So we’re like, ‘What if we could just bring them in the room?'”
Hearing the live audience reactions from the first three shows has been invigorating, and bringing the show to Music City as a first stop felt natural.
“Nashville is like a second home to me,” Geist said. “I came here in the fall of 1993 from New Jersey to go to Vanderbilt University.” He studied political science and French.
“Country music and bourbon, immediately I took to. Both have stayed with me.”
Geist hopes to bring the show back to Nashville in the future. His dream guest? Dolly Parton.
Over an hour-long interview with Combs, the two dug into his career and creative process, the iconic “Fast Car” Grammy duet with Tracy Chapman and his future goals.
At the end, Combs delivered a surprise performances of “Sleepless in a Hotel Room” and “When It Rains It Pours.”
Here are some of the interview’s top takeaways.
5. Combs wants to do a free college bar tour
Geist and Combs unpacked Combs’ years of college bar gigs back at Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina.
It’s an era Combs would love to revive, he said.
“I dream of doing an entire tour of venues I used to play, 20-some shows of all the little SEC town bars,” he said.
His dream lineup includes Brickstreet in Oxford, Ohio, Tin Roof in Columbia, South Carolina, Georgia Theater in Athens, Georgia and 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia.
“Free tickets,” he said. “Just first-come, first-serve.”
4. Fame hasn’t changed Luke Combs
Combs has received three Grammy nominations, four ACM awards, six CMA Awards and won CMA entertainer of the year, the highest honor, twice.
Despite the accolades, arena tours and streaming success, Combs said he’s just a normal guy.
He still goes to the grocery store. He’s a dedicated husband and father to two sons.
“If you looked at me in a vacuum: six foot, 290 lbs … on a good day … decent guitar player, decent songwriter. That stuff’s all stacked up,” Combs said.
“Look at this guy at the bar. ‘I know this guy, this guy lives down the road, right?’ And he does live down the road. It’s just me.”
“This idea that you have to change when you get success or fame or influence, it’s all a facade for me,” he said.
“Ultimately, I’m no different than I was when I started. I’m just in a different circumstance now.”
3. Combs reminds music industry it’s not hard to be nice
“It’s just not that hard to be nice to people,” Combs said. The crowd cheered.
“(People will say) ‘you’re so nice.'” Geist replied. “And I’m like, ‘I’m just being me. What are the other people like?'”
“What’s wrong with everyone else? It’s sad that that’s the norm,” Combs said.
Combs said his team has grown to 45 salaried employees over the years; Combs speaks to them all face-to-face.
“A lot of these people came from other places. When they come to us to work, like they’re almost like a shelter dog,” Combs said. Some employees think they aren’t supposed to address him.
“I’m not saying that’s the norm,” he said, “but I’ve experienced it enough to be bummed out that that’s people’s experiences. Because those people are living their dream too.
“It’s a sad reality of our business, and it shouldn’t have to be that way.”
2. Luke Combs’ 2026 album is full of ‘fastballs’
Combs’ upcoming album, “The Way I Am,” releases on March 20.
“To be quite frank with you, this album’s just fastballs to be like, ‘I still got it,'” he told Geist.
“That was the intention of this album … the ‘Fathers & Sons’ album was a really selfish thing. It was for me, ultimately, and for my kids,” he said.
The new record will be Combs’ first in four years. He wanted to go into the studio and have fun with his buddies.
“There’s no secret sauce, man. Just do what you feel like you’re good at and see if people love it.”
1. Combs unpacks iconic Grammys ‘Fast Car’ duet with Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman released her hit “Fast Car” in 1988, and two years later, Luke Combs was born.
The song had always followed him around, he said.
Combs covered the folk rock tune at his bar gigs in college.
In 2023, he released a cover of the song that topped the country airplay charts. Combs’ rendition also made Chapman the first Black woman to win a CMA Award for song of the year, which goes to a song’s writer.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards, Combs and Chapman brought down the house with a surprise duet. It was Chapman’s first live performance in years.
Combs said asking Chapman to participate in the performance was a challenge. It was hard to find her information, and nerve-wracking to make the ask.
“Tracy doesn’t even have a team,” he said. “She’s just a G, dude.”
The duet has become an iconic homage to the song’s enduring legacy, uniting different musical genres and generations.
Want to read the full story of Combs’ and Chapman’s first conversation and how the duet came together?
Click HERE.
When does Luke Combs’ interview with Willie Geist air?
Luke Combs’ interview with Willie Geist will air Sunday, Feb. 1.
“Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist” typically airs Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. CT on NBC.
Episodes can be streamed on Peacock the following day.
To learn more, visit today.com/sunday-today.
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at [email protected].
