Source: Kevin Mazur/Getty
The iconic singer Tracy Chapman appeared on Grammy Awards to perform her hit song 'Fast Car' with Luke Combs, moving the crowd to a standing ovation.
On Sunday night (Feb. 4), the 66th Grammy Awards kicked off with a duet performance by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman and country star Luke Combs of Chapman's now-iconic song “Fast Car.” Dressed in a smart black shirt and trousers with her silver stripes tied behind her, Chapman played the memorable opening bars on her guitar singing the first verse as the crowd cheered.
Combs joined in, singing the second verse. They went back and forth singing and joined in on the chorus, leading the star-studded audience to a standing ovation as the song ended with Combs bowing to Chapman. “The legendary Tracy Chapman, everyone,” host Trevor Noah said at the end, overjoyed. “Thank you so much for this! Thank you very much for that.” Oprah Winfrey was seen jumping up and down with excitement in the audience, with Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves also expressing their joy during the standing ovation.
The 59-year-old singer's return to the Grammys stage after 35 years was spurred by Combs' faithful cover of “Fast Car” last year at I'm getting old album. He captivated audiences, earning the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and a nomination for Best Solo Performance at this year's Grammys, in addition to winning the Country Music Award for Song of the Year last year – making Chapman the first black songwriter to get that price. “It's truly an honor for my song to be recognized recently after 35 years since its debut,” he said in a statement at the time. The duo thrilled many at home watching as well, prompting fans to push the song to No. 1 on the US iTunes chart shortly after the show aired.
The performance was also the anniversary of Tracy Chapman's debut at the Grammy Awards in 1989, a year after her self-titled debut with “Fast Car.” She would win Best Female Pop Vocal Performance that night, where she also performed in front of the audience. Prior to this, Chapman had not made many public appearances since her last tour ended in 2009 and she had appeared in Late Night with Seth Meyers ahead of the 2020 presidential election by playing “Talkin' Bout A Revolution”.