Tracy Chapman Shares Response To Luke Combs’ Cover Of ‘Fast Car’
Chapman broke her silence on Combs’ rendition of the song just days after it hit No.1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Tracy Chapman; Photo Courtesy Seth Myers, YouTube, Luke Combs; Photo by Andrew Wendowski, Music Mayhem
Just days after Luke Combs’ rendition of “Fast Car” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, Tracy Chapman shared her thoughts on his cover of her 1988 classic, “Fast Car.”
Breaking her silence, the 59-year-old singer/songwriter gave an exclusive statement to Billboard where she expressed her surprise over the success of Combs’ rendition of the song.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman told the outlet. ”I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
Chapman also shared a congratulatory message to Combs on social media.
“Who would want to see this collaboration? 🤯 Congratulations to @lukecombs success with Fast Car,” Chapman previously wrote on Instagram.
With Combs’ rendition of her 1988 hit sitting atop of the Billboard Country Airplay chart, Tracy Chapman achieved a historic milestone as the first Black woman to solely write a song that reached the top of the country charts.
“Still making waves 35 years later 🎸,” Chapman said, reacting to the news of her first-ever No. 1 at Country radio.
“Fast Car” ascended to the top spot on the chart after just 11 weeks, matching Morgan Wallen’s rapid rise to the top of the chart with “Last Night.” This achievement marks Combs’ 16th career No. 1 at country radio and his 15th No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
If you include Combs’ feature on Jameson Rogers’ “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” which also reached the number one spot, technically it would mark his 17th time reaching the top of the chart.
Combs, 33, recently revealed his reason for recording a studio rendition of the Chapman hit, explaining that the tune holds a personal significance.
“[It’s] my first favorite song probably ever. I remember listening to that song with my dad in his truck when I was probably four years old,” Combs recalled of his connection to the track in a press release. “He had a cassette, a tape of it, and we had this old brown camper top F-150.”
“We rode around that thing, and he had a tape cassette player in there, and I have the original cassette — my dad brought it to me a couple of years ago… I have the one, and I have it in my shop,” he continued. “The only music I have in my shop is a cassette player. I love to go to antique stores, and just you can get a bunch of cassette tapes for 50 cents, and some of the best records of all time are on cassette.”
The North Carolina native, who is currently performing the Tracy Chapman cover each night on his massive 2023 world tour, knew he had to record the tune as it was a big part of his life.
“It’s always been one of my favorites. I covered it in college, and just kind of continued to play it around the house or whatever, and did a video of it in 2020 during the whole lockdown thing,” he told Smooth Radio. “I just figured, why not? It’s been such a big part of my life that I just figured it would be cool to do an official version of it.”
Combs’ extensive 2023 World Tour kicked off on March 25 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and runs through October 19, where it will wrap up in London, England at The O2 Arena.
Hitting three continents and 16 countries, the massive outing will make stops throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France and Belgium.
Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry, and Brent Cobb serve as support on the North American tour dates, while special guests on the Australian and New Zealand dates include Cody Johnson and Lane Pittman.
See a full list of the “Love You Anyway” singer’s tour dates below.
Additionally, the tour comes in support of Luke Combs latest album, Gettin’ Old, which arrived on March 24, 2023.
The project features 18 tracks, including “Fast Car,” as well as “Growin’ Up And Gettin’ Old,” “See Me Now,” “Joe,” “Tattoo On A Sunburn,” the fan-favorite tune, “5 Leaf Clover,” and more.
“This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now. One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through,” Combs previously explained on social media. He continued, “It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record and I hope you love it as much as we do.”
On the personal front, the North Carolina native is expecting his second child with his wife, Nicole. The couple announced the news to fans on social media on March 20.
“Joining the 2 under 2 club! Baby boy #2 coming this September,” Luke and Nicole shared in a joint Instagram post.
The couple welcomed their first child, Tex Lawrence, on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19, 2022.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
