Tracy Chapman was just 24-years old when she released her song, “Fast Car” — the first single off her eponymous debut album.
The year was 1988 and Chapman’s song hit No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 upon its release. Thirty-five years later, American country music singer and songwriter Luke Combs has covered Chapman’s song — and his cover recently topped the Billboard charts.
Since Chapman is the sole songwriter and owner of the publishing rights of “Fast Car”, Comb’s success has also meant that Chapman becomes the first Black woman with a sole songwriting credit on a No. 1 country hit.
In March, Combs released his cover of Chapman’s “Fast Car,” alongside 17 original tracks in his new album Gettin’ Old.
Comb’s cover topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and landed on The Times’ list of Top 40 songs of 2023.
The 33-year old two-time Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year told ABC Audio that Chapman’s song was one of the first songs he learned to play on the guitar when he was four, five years old.
“That song’s just been a huge part of my life for a really long time,” he said. “Ever since I could play guitar, it was one of the first songs I wanted to learn.”
During COVID, Combs live-streamed a video of his cover from his garage. His fans responded positively, encouraging him to record a studio version.
Last week, Chapman told Billboard, “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honoured to be there.”
“I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car’,” she said.
Chapman should also be getting a new monetary boost for her song — according to Billboard predictions, Combs’ version has produced more than $US500,000 in publishing royalties since its March release — most of them stemming from over 154 million U.S. on-demand audio streams from Spotify and Apple Music, among other platforms.
Nine months after Chapman released her original version in April 1988, she secured six nominations at the 1989 Grammys Awards, winning three trophies for best new artist, best female pop vocal performance for “Fast Car,” and best contemporary folk recording for her album, “Tracy Chapman.”
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