Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” rocketed up the iTunes charts after she sang her hit from 1988 on Sunday night’s Grammy Awards with country music star Luke Combs, who recorded the song last year.
Just moments after Chapman, 49, and Combs, 33, finished singing the song, “Fast Car” shot to No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart — 36 years after it was first released on Chapman’s debut album, “Tracy Chapman.”
The song initially reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. According to a report on NPR, Chapman performed it at the Grammys once before, when she won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Fast Car” at the 1989 Grammys.
Combs released his version of “Fast Car” last year. It reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart and snared a Grammy nomination this year but did not win a trophy.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman said in July 2023 in an exclusive statement to Billboard. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
In November, Chapman won Song of the Year for “Fast Car, ” becoming the first black woman to win a Country Music Association award.
She also won a lifetime achievement award at the 2024 International Folk Music Awards, according to NPR.
Chapman’s surprise appearance on Sunday night’s 66th Grammy Awards was applauded loudly by the crowd inside the Crypto.com Arena in LA. At the same time, Chapman and Combs sang “Fast Car,” the cameras cut to Taylor Swift and Jelly Roll, who were standing and singing along, causing Chapman to smile.
After their performance, Chapman and Combs turned to each other and bowed as they received a standing ovation, according to NPR.
In a video that was shown on the Grammys prior to their performance of “Fast Car,” Combs spoke about the song and what it meant to him.
“That song, ‘Fast Car’, it was my favorite song before I even knew what a favorite song was,” Combs said. “It can be felt and related to by all kinds of people around the world.
“It’s just such a cool full-circle moment for me,” he said. “Just to be associated with [Chapman] in any way is super humbling for me.”
Chapman has kept a low performing profile of late and also keeps wraps on her personal life.
She has been linked to various people over the years — including Alice Walker, who said they were in a relationship in the 1990s, according to People magazine.
But Chapman has never commented on her relationship status — and it’s unclear if she is married, according to the report.
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After her debut album in 1988, Chapman released seven studio albums — including her most recent album, “Our Bright Future,” in 2008. That album was nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 2010 Grammys.
She embarked on a 2008 tour to support “Our Bright Future” and resumed the tour, in Europe, in 2009.
Her public appearances since then have been few and far between. In November 2020 she made a rare public appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” to perform her 1988 track “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution” and encouraged viewers to go out and vote in that year’s presidential election, according to People.
The 2024 Grammy Awards marked Chapman’s first public appearance in three years.
The Post reached out to iTunes for comment.
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