Country star Luke Combs has earned a new career milestone with his take on Tracy Chapman’s trademark song, “Fast Car.” The North Carolina native’s cover has been certified platinum by the RIAA, just four months after its official release.
Videos by American Songwriter
Combs recorded his rendition of Chapman’s 1988 hit for inclusion on his fourth studio album, Gettin’ Old, which was released in March. The track was immediately embraced by country radio, earning Combs his 16th consecutive No. 1 single. This week, the song spent its third consecutive week at the top of Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and climbed to No. 1 on Mediabase/Country Aircheck’s airplay chart.
The quick success of his polished, modern country version of Chapman’s rich and emotive story-song has sparked a renewed interest and discussion around the Grammy Award-winning artists’ career. Although 35 years have passed since Chapman made “Fast Car” a Top 10 hit, the accomplished singer/songwriter says she’s pleasantly surprised by the track’s new life.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman recently told Billboard in an exclusive statement. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
RELATED: Luke Combs Goes No. 1 with Captivating Cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”
To coincide with this career milestone, Combs has released a new live performance video of the track, recorded during his recent sold-out show at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Fans can catch Combs out on the road over the coming months, with tour dates scheduled across the U.S., New Zealand, Australia and the U.K. through the end of the year. On Saturday (July 15), the country star was forced to temporarily pause his performance in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to a nearby lightning storm.
Photo Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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