Video: Tracy Chapman performs ‘Fast Car’ live for first time in nine years at 2024 Grammys with Luke Combs
Nine years since her last live television performance, Tracy Chapman made a rare appearance at the 2024 Grammy Awards to sing her 1988 hit “Fast Car” with Luke Combs, the country star who turned a new audience onto Chapman’s song with his cover version and earned a Grammy nomination in the process.
In a video before the performance, Combs talked about the song’s memorable opening guitar lick, a snippet that expertly telegraphed the performance that was to come: A tight shot on Chapman’s hands playing her acoustic guitar slowly moved up to reveal her face and a broad grin. Chapman took the first verse, before Combs — standing at a microphone without a guitar — joined in with his verse and a big smile of his own.