Darius Rucker Reveals His Thoughts About Luke Combs’ Cover Of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”

“What a great cover. When I heard it, I was like, ‘This song’s a smash.’” Rucker said, praising Combs’ version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”

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Andrew Wendowski

Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.

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Posted on July 15, 2023

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Darius Rucker, Luke Combs; Photos By Andrew Wendowski

Darius Rucker recently shared his thoughts on Luke Combs’ chart-topping cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”

In a recent interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal, Rucker expressed his admiration for Combs’ chart-topping rendition of “Fast Car,” which continues to make history as it sits atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for the third consecutive week. Rucker couldn’t help but praise Combs’ fabulous interpretation of the iconic Chapman tune.

“What a great cover. When I heard it, I was like, ‘This song’s a smash.’” Darius Rucker said, praising Combs’ version of the song. He then went on to commend the North Carolina native for his take of the tune. “That’s such a great song and he took it and made it his own and when you do it like that — that’s goin’ No. 1 fast.”

Rucker further highlighted how Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” introduced the song to a “whole new audience.”

“There’s a lot of people who didn’t know that song until he did it and that’s what great about those songs. You bring a great song to a bunch of new people,” Rucker continued.

Combs’ experience with Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” is much like Rucker’s previous experience when he covered Old Crow Medicine Show’s iconic hit, “Wagon Wheel,” giving the tune a whole new life in 2013.

Darius Rucker; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Darius Rucker; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

Tracy Chapman Also Recently Responded To Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” Cover

In addition to Darius Rucker, Tracy Chapman recently reacted to Combs’ cover of her signature song. Breaking her silence, the 59-year-old singer/songwriter gave an exclusive statement to Billboard where she expressed her surprise over the success of Combs’ rendition of the song. 

“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman told the outlet. ”I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”

Chapman also shared a congratulatory message and teased a collaboration with Combs on social media. 

“Who would want to see this collaboration? 🤯 Congratulations to @lukecombs success with Fast Car,” Chapman previously wrote on Instagram. 

With Combs’ rendition of her 1988 hit sitting atop of the Billboard Country Airplay chart, Tracy Chapman achieved a historic milestone as the first Black woman to solely write a song that reached the top of the country charts.

“Still making waves 35 years later 🎸,” Chapman said, reacting to the news of her first-ever No. 1 at Country radio.

Combs Rendition of “Fast Car” Continues To Make History

“Fast Car” ascended to the top spot on the chart after just 11 weeks, matching Morgan Wallen’s rapid rise to the top of the chart with “Last Night.”  This achievement marks Combs’ 16th career No. 1 at country radio and his 15th No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

The cover remains atop the Billboard Country Airplay chart for a third consecutive week. With that accomplishment, Combs’ rendition of “Fast Car” ties Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson for “the longest Country Airplay domination among remakes of pop hits,” according to Billboard.

Tracy Chapman, Photo Courtesy of Seth Meyers/YouTube; Luke Combs, Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Tracy Chapman, Photo Courtesy of Seth Meyers/YouTube; Luke Combs, Photo by Andrew Wendowski

Why Did Luke Combs Record A Cover Of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”?

Combs, 33, recently revealed his reason for recording a studio rendition of the Chapman hit, explaining that the tune holds a personal significance.

“[It’s] my first favorite song probably ever. I remember listening to that song with my dad in his truck when I was probably four years old,” Combs recalled of his connection to the track in a press release. “He had a cassette, a tape of it, and we had this old brown camper top F-150.”

“We rode around that thing, and he had a tape cassette player in there, and I have the original cassette — my dad brought it to me a couple of years ago… I have the one, and I have it in my shop,” he continued. “The only music I have in my shop is a cassette player. I love to go to antique stores, and just you can get a bunch of cassette tapes for 50 cents, and some of the best records of all time are on cassette.”

The North Carolina native, who is currently performing the Tracy Chapman cover each night on his massive 2023 world tour, knew he had to record the tune as it was a big part of his life.

“It’s always been one of my favorites. I covered it in college, and just kind of continued to play it around the house or whatever, and did a video of it in 2020 during the whole lockdown thing,” he told Smooth Radio. “I just figured, why not? It’s been such a big part of my life that I just figured it would be cool to do an official version of it.”

Appears On Combs’ Album Gettin’ Old

Combs’ “Fast Car” cover appears on his latest album, Gettin’ Old, which arrived on March 24, 2023. The project features 18 tracks, including “Growin’ Up And Gettin’ Old,” “See Me Now,” “Joe,” “Tattoo On A Sunburn,” the fan-favorite tune, “5 Leaf Clover,” and more.

“This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now. One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through,” Combs previously explained on social media. He continued, “It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record and I hope you love it as much as we do.”

Luke Combs Gettin' Old Album Art
Luke Combs Gettin’ Old Album Art
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Written by

Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.

See more posts from Andrew Wendowski

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