Veteran Hollywood singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman performed her 1988 iconic track Fast Car alongside country artist Luke Combs at the 66th Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah. The two singers, though hailing from different generations and musical genres, took the stage together on February 4 for a duet rendition of the song that has generated massive success for both of them.
Decades after its initial release, Fast Car re-entered the charts when Combs’ cover of the track, infused with a country sensibility, became immensely popular in 2023. Dressed all in black, Chapman kicked off the first performance at the Grammys to the sounds of voracious cheers from the star-studded audience which included Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson.
Chapman and Combs bounced back and forth sharing the spotlight but sang together in beautiful harmony for the chorus. After they finished, the crowd leapt to their feet in thunderous applause. Oprah raised her hands cheering and host Trevor Noah raced to the stage to again pay tribute to Chapman.
“The legendary Tracy Chapman, everybody. Thank you so much for that! Thank you so much for that,” Noah said. Before the performance, Combs spoke about Chapman’s legacy.
“Tracy Chapman is such an icon, and one of the greatest artists that I think any of us will be along to see,” the country singer said. “It’s a full circle moment for me. Just to be associated with her and any way is super humbling for me.”
Chapman hasn’t performed publicly in several years, making this a landmark appearance for the singer-songwriter. “Fast Car,” however, is no stranger to the prestigious awards ceremony.
Also Read: Grammys rolls out ban on AI-generated music