Reclusive creative queen Tracy Chapman became the first Black songwriter to win Song of the Year at the CMA Awards… No she hasn’t released new music 🥲 but her hit “Fast Car” was covered by country music star Luke Combs. When it topped the country charts in 2023, Chapman made history becoming the first Black woman to be credited with a No. 1 hit. The song originally released in 1988 won the artist two Grammys including Best Contemporary Folk Recording and Best Pop Vocal Performance.
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Combs took home the CMA Award for Single of the Year for the cover. In his acceptance speech, Chapman was the first person he thanked saying, “I want to thank Tracy Chapman for writing one of the greatest songs of all time,”…“I just recorded it because I love this song so much. It’s meant so much to me throughout my entire life. It’s the first favorite song that I ever had, since I was 4 years old.”
Chapman didn’t attend but sent a statement: “I’m sorry I couldn’t join you all tonight. It’s truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut. Wow. Thank you to the CMAs, and a special thanks to Luke and to all of the fans of ‘Fast Car'”.
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