Luke Combs thanked Tracy Chapman on Friday in a touching social media post, following their joint performance of her song “Fast Car” at the Grammy Awards earlier this week.
Sunday’s duet came after the country star went No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart last year with a cover of Chapman’s 1988 hit.
In his social media post, Combs reflected on his “unreal Grammy week” before expressing appreciation for the iconic singer-songwriter.
“When it comes to the performance it’s still hard to process how amazing it really was to be up there on that stage. No doubt a defining moment of my career,” Combs wrote.
“Tracy, I want to send my sincerest thanks to you for allowing me to be a part of your moment. Thank you for the impact you have had on my musical journey, and the musical journeys of countless other singers, songwriters, musicians, and fans alike. I hope you felt how much you mean to the world that night. We were all in awe of you up there and I was just the guy lucky enough to have the best seat in the house.”
@tchapmanonline, a fan account for the singer-songwriter, reposted his sweet message and said, “Thank YOU for everything!”
The duet marked a rare public performance by Chapman, who told Billboard last year that “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there.”
She added, “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
Chapman, following the cover’s release, became the first Black woman to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as a song’s sole writer.
In a video shared this week by CBS, Combs said that he’s played “Fast Car” since he began playing guitar, and that his father would listen to Chapman’s self-titled 1988 album in his Ford truck.
“It was my favorite song before I even knew what a favorite song was,” Combs said of Chapman’s tune, which won a Grammy Award in 1989.
“Tracy is such an icon and one of the best songwriters that I think any of us will ever be around to see. ... It’s just such a cool full-circle moment for me, just to be associated with her in any way is super humbling for me.”
CORRECTION: An original version of this story incorrectly described a Tracy Chapman fan account as the singer’s official account.