Tracy Chapman Performs At Grammys To A Standing Ovation
Written by djfrosty on February 5, 2024
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
The iconic singer Tracy Chapman appeared at the 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 began with a duet performance by singer and songwriter Tracy Chapman and country star Luke Combs of Chapman’s now-iconic song “Fast Car.” Dressed in an elegant black shirt and slacks with her silver locs tied behind her, Chapman played the memorable first 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 deliver a rapturous standing ovation as the song ended with Combs bowing to Chapman. “The legendary Tracy Chapman, everybody,” host Trevor Noah said at the end, overjoyed. “Thank you so much for that! Thank you so much for that.” Oprah Winfrey could be seen jumping up and down in excitement in the audience, with Taylor Swift and Kasey Musgraves also expressing their joy during the ovation.
The 59-year-old singer’s return to the Grammy stage in 35 years was propelled by Combs’ faithful cover of “Fast Car” last year on his Gettin’ Old album. It captivated the public, obtaining the second spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and a nomination for Best Country 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 honor. “It’s truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut,” she said in a statement at the time. The duet thrilled many at home watching as well, inducing fans to push the song to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes chart shortly after the performance aired.
The appearance was also the anniversary of Tracy Chapman’s debut at the Grammy Awards in 1989, a year after her self-titled debut featuring “Fast Car.” She would win Best Female Pop Vocalist that night, where she also performed before the audience. Before that, Chapman hadn’t done many public performances since her last tour ended in 2009, and she had appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election performing “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution.”