Country superstar Luke Combs‘ cover version of Tracy Chapman‘s 1988 hit “Fast Car” has turned into a huge hit on both the pop and country charts. Not long ago, Tracy issued a statement saying she was “happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced” her signature song. Now, Luke is thanking Tracy for the kind words.
Speaking to Billboard, Luke says, “Oh man, ‘Fast Car’ has surprised me more than you can imagine. Tracy Chapman wrote this perfect song that that I first heard with my dad and it has stayed with me since.”
“I have played it in my live show now for six-plus years and everyone — I mean everyone — across all these stadiums relates to this song and sings along. That’s the gift of a supernatural song writer,” he adds.
“The success of my cover is unreal and I think it’s so cool that Tracy is getting recognized and has reached new milestones,” he notes. “I love that she is out there feeling all the love and that she gave me a shout-out! Thank you, Tracy!”
Billboard reports that Luke’s cover of the song has generated at least $500,000 in royalties, most of which will go to Tracy. The success of Luke’s version has also resulted in a 44% increase in streaming for Tracy’s original, according to Luminate.
Meanwhile, Luke’s manager says, “We would be more than excited if the opportunity arose for Tracy and Luke to perform the song together.” Stay tuned on that one.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
