On the biggest night of Luke Combs' career, he put the spotlight squarely on someone else. The just-released music video for his song "Doin' This" — the one he sang on Wednesday night (Nov. 10) — overtly introduces his longtime friend Adam Church as a country newcomer to pay attention to.

Who is Adam Church?

Don't feel bad asking — that very question is baked into the video. In fact, the song stops so the "journalist" can grab a few details about this friend the 2021 CMA Entertainer of the Year is singing about.

"Doin' This" is a previously-unreleased song that finds Combs wondering what he'd be doing if he wasn't singing country music. Church (no known relation to fellow Appalachian State University alum Eric Church) has a story all his own, but first, this new song:

"I'd have a Friday night crowd in the palm of my hand / Cup of brown liquor, couple buddies in a band / Singin' them same damn songs like I am now / I’d be feelin' on fire on a hardwood stage / Bright lights like lightning runnin' through my veins / At the Grand Ole Opry or a show in some no-name town / I'd still be doin' this if I wasn't doin' this," he sings at each chorus.

This is where Church comes in. The old college friend of Combs' is still doing it, albeit on much smaller stages than the country superstar. You don't have to look far to find old videos of the two men singing songs together, and, talking to the Mountain Times in Boone, N.C., Church admits his band is the same guys he and Combs used to play with.

During the 2020 interview, Church talked about his fiancee, Lauren, and their two-month-old baby girl. The newcomer took a job selling insurance to pay the bills, but still plays shows on weekends when he can. He's a rising star in the Charlotte, N.C., music scene, just like he was in the Boone scene years ago. In September, he joined Combs onstage during a stadium show at Appalachian State University.

In his new video, Combs describes Church as one of the best human beings he's ever met.

"He's talented, he cares about other people, and he helped me when he didn't have to," the singer says.

Find an Adam Church original called "Goin' Back to Carolina" below, as well as a throwback video of Church, Combs and two female friends singing "Boys 'Round Here" by Blake Shelton.

2021 CMA Awards — Best Pictures From the Show

The 2021 CMA Awards brought surprise collaborations and electric performances from artists like Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert. Newcomers Carly Pearce and Gabby Barrett also took the stage. This gallery of pictures from the show includes candid show moments as well as pictures taken during emotional acceptance speeches. The 2021 CMA Awards were broadcast live on ABC from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 10.

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