Luke Combs (performing in 2018); Tracy Chapman (performing in 1990).Photo:Jason Kempin/Getty; Georges De Keerle/Getty
Jason Kempin/Getty; Georges De Keerle/Getty
Luke Combsis reflecting on his big year.
In April, the country superstar released a twangy cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car,” and the track raced to the top of the country music charts, as well as peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“When I was 5 years old, my dad and I would be in his truck, and he would always play music for me. He had a Tracy Chapman cassette tape, and ‘Fast Car’ is one of the first songs I remember,” the North Carolina native, 33, tells PEOPLE. “I’ve always been a huge fan of it and think of my dad and our time together when I hear it.”
In addition to climbing the charts, Combs' cover has also earned some accolades: He won single of the year at theCMA Awards, and it was alsonamed song of the yearat the same show, making Chapman the first Black woman to win the award. Now, Combs is nominated for best country solo performance at the2024 Grammysin February. (This is his seventh nod.)
“It opened up new doors for me that I had never had opened before, but I’m honestly just glad the song moved back in the spotlight and got introduced to a new audience that may have never heard it before,” Combs — who will hit the road for hisGrowin' Up and Gettin' Old Tourin April 2024 — says. “It’s one of those songs that should be around forever, so I’m thankful it got a new life.”
Since breaking out in 2017 with his hit single “Hurricane,” Combs has become a Nashville mainstay. But even he had no idea his “Fast Car” cover would take on the life it has.
“I always thought it was one of the best songs of all time, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised,” Combs says, “but there’s nothing like Tracy’s version, so I thought it would just be a nice complement to the original but never really expected mine to take off quite the way it did.”
source: people.com
