Luke Combs hopes to one day join forces with Tracy Chapman for a collaborative performance of “Fast Car.”
On Thursday (Aug. 3), the country hitmaker sat down with Mike Adam for Audacy’s Check In series to discuss the possibility of performing the iconic hit with Chapman herself at a future event.
“Oh gosh, wherever she would do it, man,” Combs shared when Adam asked, “If you ever get a chance to perform [“Fast Car”] live with [Tracy Chapman], what event would you want it to be at?” The soon-to-be father of two then joked, “I’d do it under a bridge if she wanted me to. You know what I mean?”
He went on to share that he would just be honored to collaborate with Chapman regardless of where the joint performance took place. “I think it’d be so cool to do it anywhere, man. Honestly, it’s not necessarily about how big of a look can it be and obviously I’d love to perform it on the halftime at the Super Bowl on the moon or something,” he continued.
Combs also explained that he would love to just be able to sit down and chat with her some day if a duet is not possible.
“Really just being able to sit down and I think talk to her for a little bit and hear some of her stories and play some music with her, I think would be super cool,” he added.
Watch Luke Combs’ Full Interview With Audacy Below
Genuine Reaction To Success Of His “Fast Car” Cover
Combs also recently openly shared his genuine reaction to the overwhelming success of his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” during an exclusive interview with Billboard.
“Oh man, ‘Fast Car’ has surprised me more than you can imagine. Tracy Chapman wrote this perfect song that I first heard with my dad and it has stayed with me since,” Combs said of the immense success his cover has received thus far.
Luke Combs went on to explain that he has been performing the tune during his live shows “for six-plus years, and everyone — I mean everyone — across all these stadiums relates to this song and sings along.” He later admitted that “the success of my cover is unreal.”
“That’s the gift of a supernatural songwriter. I think it’s so cool that Tracy is getting recognized and has reached new milestones,” Combs added. “I love that she is out there feeling all the love and that she gave me a shout-out! Thank you, Tracy!”
Tracy Chapman Reacted To Combs’ “Fast Car” Cover
The news comes less than two weeks after Chapman shared her thoughts on Combs’ cover of her 1988 classic, “Fast Car.” 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 (“My Maria”) and Alan Jackson (“Summertime Blues”) for “the longest Country Airplay domination among remakes of pop hits,” according to Billboard.
In addition, the tune has officially been certified Platinum by The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) just 16 weeks after its release.
The hitmaker is celebrating the monumental success of his “Fast Car” cover with the release of a brand new live performance video for the tune, which was filmed during Combs’ sold-out show at Minneapolis’ US Bank Stadium by Zach Massey.
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.”
“Fast Car” Cover Appears On Luke Combs’ New 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.”
Additionally, Luke Combs recently wrapped the North American dates of his massive world tour and is currently preparing to head overseas.
The overseas trek runs through October 20, where the tour will conclude with back-to-back shows in London, England at the O2 Arena. Cody Johnson and Lane Pittman will serve as support on the Australian and New Zealand dates of the tour.
Luke Combs International Tour Dates
August
9—Auckland, New Zealand—Spark Arena+
11—Brisbane, Australia—Brisbane Entertainment Centre+
12—Brisbane, Australia—Brisbane Entertainment Centre+
16—Sydney, Australia—Qudos Bank Arena+
17—Sydney, Australia—Qudos Bank Arena+
19—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena+
20—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena+
23—Adelaide, Australia—Adelaide Entertainment Centre+
26—Perth, Australia—RAC Arena+
September
30—Oslo, Norway—Spektrum
October
1—Stockholm, Sweden—Annexet
4—Copenhagen, Denmark—Vega
6—Hamburg, Germany—Barclays Arena
7—Amsterdam, Netherlands—AFAS Live
8—Paris, France—La Cigale
10—Zurich, Switzerland—The Hall
11—Brussels, Belgium—Ancienne Belgique
13—Dublin, Ireland—3Arena
14—Belfast, N. Ireland—SSE Arena
16—Glasgow, Scotland—OVO Hydro Arena
17—Manchester, England—AO Arena
19—London, England—The O2 Arena
20—London, England—The O2 Arena
+with special guests Cody Johnson and Lane Pittman
