{"id":18435,"date":"2019-09-13T07:57:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T13:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/?p=1811825"},"modified":"2019-09-13T07:57:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T13:57:00","slug":"the-artist-behind-the-artist-rob-hendon-for-luke-combs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/music-news\/the-artist-behind-the-artist-rob-hendon-for-luke-combs\/","title":{"rendered":"The Artist Behind the Artist: Rob Hendon for Luke Combs"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alison Bonaguro<\/a><\/span> 21m ago<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n

You can\u2019t really go anywhere in Nashville without running into Rob Hendon<\/a>. Not the man, per se. But his vivid and textured artwork. It is everywhere. In the offices of nearly every record label, every upscale hotel, and in exhibits at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum.<\/p>\n

His paintings are enough of a Music City staple that when a hopeful Luke Combs<\/a> moved to Nashville to try to be a country singer, he noticed Hendon\u2019s paintings \u2014 mostly of guitars \u2014 and wanted one for himself. But as Hendon explained, Combs was waiting until he had the means to reward himself with that luxury.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve know Luke since the very beginning of his career. We go all the way back,\u201d Hendon told me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started after he\u2019d released \u2019Hurricane,\u2019 and he called me and said, \u2019I\u2019m Luke Combs.\u2019 I\u2019d never heard of him,\u201d he laughed. \u201cBut he said he wanted to come by and look at my art, and that he\u2019d just been waiting for a hit song.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time, Combs bought a couple guitar tables, which are one of Hendon\u2019s specialties. One for himself and one for his manager Chris Kappy. Combs was one very satisfied customer, so about a year and a half after that, he went back to Hendon with an much bigger request.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2019I want you to paint the cover art for my next album,’\u201d Hendon recalled, not thinking it might actually happen as Combs\u2019 career started skyrocketing. \u201cBut then I went to go see him at his Atlanta show, and he said we needed to get started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hendon admitted he was nervous. Mainly because he\u2019d never done an album cover before, but also because by now, Combs has become a straight-up country superstar. So this album What You See Is What You Get<\/em> will be in the hands of millions come November 8.<\/p>\n

The art-in-progress started with Combs sending Hendon some pictures taken by David Bergman, just snapshots of him from around his home and his life. And Hendon got to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I showed him my first painting, he said, \u2019I love how I look.\u2019 I was so happy. That was a fist-bump moment for us both, for sure.\u201d From there, he said, the painting of the album title came fast and furious, Combs asked for a few changes, and voil\u00e0: art for an artist was born.<\/p>\n

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