Luke Combs surprised everyone at the 2024 Grammy Awards. He performed his cover of the hit song “Fast Car” with a special guest – Tracy Chapman. Chapman gracing the stage was a pleasant surprise for everyone. Especially because she has not performed much since her last tour over a decade ago. Combs detailed the phone call he had with Chapman which ultimately led to her agreeing to the performance.
“She calls me, and I’m sitting in my kitchen by myself. My wife’s in there (taking care of) the baby and stuff,” Combs said.
“We talked for 40 minutes probably, and I think that was the — for her, it was the ‘am I gonna do this with this guy at all? Who’s this guy? What’s he really about?’ You know what I mean? At least, I think that’s maybe what it was. It was just really easy, man.”
“We just talked. Just talked about music, talked about that song, I fangirled for sure… You hardly ever get to have those conversations with people that you admire. So, that was really cool, man. And I feel like we just connected on that call.”
Tracy Chapman Initially Shut Down Grammy Performance Idea
Combs was already slated to perform at the Grammys. But Variety says that Chapman had initially vowed not to partake in any performances despite the “popular demand.”
“Combs, who had a massive hit with his cover version of “Fast Car” last year, was already announced as a performer on the show,” Variety wrote.
“Chapman’s appearance comes as a significant surprise, as she has only performed for the cameras three times since wrapping up her last tour in 2009, and the singer had thus far resisted the popular demand to take advantage of the resurgence of “Fast Car” as an international phenomenon.”
Killer Mike Clears Air on Arrest
The 2024 Grammys did not come without controversy. Star rapper Killer Mike was seen being carried out of the venue in handcuffs. This was after Mike collected three awards to kick off the evening. TMZ initially reported that a physical altercation before the event was what led to his arrest. But the Grammy winner cleared up any confusion about the altercation.
“As you can imagine, a lot was going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter,” he said.
“We experienced an over-zealous security guard but my team and I have the utmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing. Until that time, keep listening to Michael and keep going after your dreams.”