Tracy Chapman on Luke Combs’ ‘Fast Car’ cover, topping country chart: ‘I’m honored to be there’
The Grammy Award-winning hit song by Tracy Chapman has found new life through Luke Combs' country cover, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard country charts this week.
Tracy Chapman has opened up about Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car,” her Grammy Award-winning hit that’s topping the country charts 35 years later.
As theGrio previously reported, Chapman made history this week when Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” cover landed at No.1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. The historic moment makes Chapman the first Black woman to have the sole writing credit on a No. 1 country song.
Reflecting on the major accomplishment, Chapman opened up to Billboard, telling the outlet, “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there. I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
As theGrio previously reported, “Fast Car” is one of Chapman’s signature songs, earning the singer-songwriter three Grammy Awards, including for best female pop vocal performance in 1988.
While Chapman is the only Black woman with sole writing credit on a No. 1 country song, she joins three other women who have co-written tracks: Alice Randall (Trisha Yearwood’s 1994 song “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)”, Ester Dean (Lady A’s 2020 song “Champagne Night”) and Tayla Parx (Dan + Shay’s 2021 song “Glad You Exist.”)
TheGrio’s Touré recently reflected on Chapman and her musical legacy on “Being Black: The ’80s” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. Check out the episode below:
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