“Fast Car” kicked off the 57th annual CMA Awards taking home the first two honors of the night.
Luke Combs secured his first-ever win for “Single of The Year” thanks to his rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” while Tracy Chapman herself scored “Song of The Year” (and her first ever Country Music Award) for the 1988 hit.
Luke first shared a cover of “Fast Car” to social media years ago, and has been playing it at shows ever since. His personal connection to the song goes back even further. He’s shared with fans that he heard “Fast Car” for the first time on a cassette tape at 4 years old, cruising around in his dad’s ’88 F-150.
After years of fans begging for him to record the track, he finally agreed and released “Fast Car” as a single, and as apart of his March 2023 album, “Gettin’ Old”.
Luke Combs never intended for “Fast Car” to be such an explosive hit, but it soared to the top of Billboard’s Country Airplay charts anyway, and quickly became one of the top country songs of the summer.
Luke recounted this in his acceptance speech, sharing he just recorded it “because he loved the song so much.” He immediately thanked Tracy Chapman, “for writing one of the best songs of all time.”
To succeed with a cover as a single is impressive for any artist…but to re-record a 35-year-old classic that was never even country to begin with? That’s a pretty huge deal for both Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman.
After “Fast Car” was named as the winning “Song of The Year,” Chapman (who was not in attendance) shared the following statement, thanking fans and Luke for the song’s newfound success. “It is truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut,” she said. “Thank you to the CMAs and a special thanks to Luke and all of the fans.”
Congratulations to both artists on both wins for such an iconic song. Stream Tracy Chapman’s version, and Luke’s now award-winning cover of “Fast Car” HERE.