Exuding a simple, serene joy, Tracy Chapman stood on the Grammy stage and began playing the opening of her 1988 smash song, “Fast Car.” Country music superstar Luke Combs grinned as he stepped in and began duetting with one of his favorites after she finished the first lyric.
At the 66th Grammy ceremony, the two singers—representing various musical genres and generations—performed a robust rendition of Chapman’s song. Wearing all black, Chapman and Combs went to the stage, standing motionless in front of a wall of spotlights that looked almost exactly like automobile lights.
When the two sang, Combs’ distinctive grit and strength carried its own weight, while Chapman’s voice retained the same clear, warm quality it had in ’88. The pair alternated between singing verses and joining forces for the chorus as Chapman performed on the acoustic guitar.
The famous chorus, “You got a fast car” had the entire audience singing together. You must decide whether to leave tonight or to live and die in this manner. Even as Taylor Swift was singing the chorus, the camera panned over to her.
The audience went crazy when the concert ended. With a great deal of admiration, Combs turned to face Chapman and bowed. Chapman turned to face Combs as well and bowed respectfully. There was an obvious bond between the two on stage.
Due to Chapman’s rare live appearances, the performance was significant. After wrapping off her most recent tour in 2009, she reduced the number of concerts she performed.
With his 2023 album “Getting Old,” Combs produced a country-fied version of the song that quickly rose to the top of the charts, appealing to a new generation of country music listeners. It went to the top of Billboard’s country radio chart quite soon.
While Chapman expressed her surprise at finding herself on the country charts, she also expressed her gratitude to Luke for his success and her happiness that “Fast Car” had found new listeners. Chapman made these statements to Billboard this summer.
At the 57th CMA Awards in November, Luke Combs’ rendition of the song took home the Song of the Year trophy. Thirty-five years after the song’s release, Chapman became the first Black woman to win a Country Music Association award when the song’s writer was given the honor.
At the CMAs, Combs won a prize for the song in addition to Single of the Year.
Combs received a nomination for a Grammy this year for his country solo performance of “Fast Car,” but Chris Stapleton won for “White Horse” earlier in the evening.
