Fans are eagerly awaiting the upcoming epic duet of “Fast Car.” Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs are reportedly set to take the stage together at the Grammys.
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Taking to X, fans shared their excitement about the performance. One person wrote, “The joy this brings me is ridiculous.”
Another person wrote, “Her song was already a hit. Tracy Chapman is a goddess of soul and blues. Incredible songwriter and performer. She retired and the world should be happy she’s back in whatever capacity she chooses.”
According to Variety, Chapman agreed to appear at the awards ceremony for the event. Notably, Chapman has mostly stayed out of the spotlight in recent years. The singer ended her singing career for the most part in 2009. She’s only performed a handful of times since then. Despite the success of the cover, Chapman hasn’t performed “Fast Car” live in recent years.
However, she has been supportive of Combs. “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman told Billboard. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
It was important for Combs to get Chapman’s blessing prior to recording the song. Chapman released the initial version of “Fast Car” in 1988. It ended up peaking at No. 6. Combs’ cover of the song struck a chord with fans, recently reaching No.1 and winning the CMA for Song of the Year.
‘Fast Car’ Is Important to Luke Combs
However, Chapman didn’t make an appearance at the award ceremony. Instead, she left a statement for fans.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t join you all tonight,” Chapman said. “It’s truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut. Thank you to the CMAs and a special thanks to Luke and all of the fans of ‘Fast Car.’”
For Combs, “Fast Car” holds sentimental value. The real reason that he wanted to record the song was because of his father. “Fast Car” was one of the first songs that his dad introduced him to.
“I was living in Charlotte, North Carolina, with my parents. My dad had a 1988 Ford F-150 that was brown with a tan camper top on it,” said Combs. “It was probably the cheapest model you could get. I don’t even think it was four-wheel drive, and I remember it had a cassette player in it. Me and my dad would ride around and listen to all sorts of things.”
He continued,“There was this one song that really stuck out to me. It was called ‘Fast Car.’ That song meant a lot to me since then—for my whole life. I always think about my dad when it comes on and us spending time together.”
So performing the song with Chapman will be a dream come true, and fans can’t wait.
