Tracy Chapman Gives a Rare Surprise Performance at the Grammys With Luke Combs

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Tracy Chapman made a rare appearance at the Grammy Awards tonight, joining country star Luke Combs for a performance of her song “Fast Car.” Combs’ cover of the song, which Chapman first released in 1988, went viral last year and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance. To celebrate the track’s success, they joined forces onstage, nearly 35 years since Chapman first performed the song at the awards ceremony.

Chapman’s appearance came as a surprise, especially since she hasn’t made a public appearance or performance in years. According to The New York Times, she’s only made a few public outings since 2009, including a set on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2015 and a performance of “Talkin’ ’Bout a Revolution” on Late Night with Seth Meyers ahead of the 2020 election. The Grammys crowd responded to their moving duet with a standing ovation.

Chapman has four Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, which she won in 1989. She gave a rare public statement in response to Combs’ cover last July, telling Billboard, “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.’” Combs’ version of the song topped the country charts last year and even peaked at number two on the Hot 100 chart.

In response to Chapman’s approval, Combs told Billboard: “Oh man, ‘Fast Car’ has surprised me more than you can imagine. Tracy Chapman wrote this perfect song that that I first heard with my dad and it has stayed with me since,” Combs tells Billboard exclusively. “I have played it in my live show now for six-plus years and everyone—I mean everyone—across all these stadiums relates to this song and sings along. That’s the gift of a supernatural song writer. The success of my cover is unreal and I think it’s so cool that Tracy is getting recognized and has reached new milestones. I love that she is out there feeling all the love and that she gave me a shout-out! Thank you, Tracy!”

Watch clips of their joint performance below.

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