Exclusive: Luke Combs Opens Up About Meeting Tracy Chapman for the First Time at the Grammys on ‘God’s Country’ Podcast

American Songwriter is premiering an exclusive clip from country star Luke Combs‘ new interview debuting Tuesday (March 19) on the music podcast God’s Country. In the audio from iHeartPodcasts and MeatEater, Combs, whose cover of Tracy Chapman’s hit “Fast Car” shot up to No.1 on iTunes in the U.S. after last month’s spectacular Grammy Awards performance, opens up about the first time he met and performed with Chapman, one of his longtime idols.

The two performed together onstage for the first time at the Grammys, singing “Fast Car” as a duet. Now Combs discusses what that moment was like in the new audio clip from an episode of God’s Country featuring the two-time Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year.

On the show, Combs talks about how he had first connected with Chapman by phone prior to the Grammy performance, with the two rehearsing together in the week leading up to the show.

“I started hearing whispers,” Combs says. “I guess it was probably, I don’t know, maybe late summer, early fall that maybe the Grammys was thinking about wanting to [have the two perform together].”But Combs says he wasn’t sure at first it would happen, given Chapman’s low profile of late. “She’s hard to get in touch with for a reason,” he says. “I can’t speak for her, but that’s what I would think.” Combs says he was excited about the idea but was trying to stay realistic. Then, much to everyone’s delight, history happened.

Combs also talks on the podcast about his first job running the go-kart track at Fun Depot, his mom’s role in helping him pursue his love of music, and his surreal time performing with Chapman. Check it out below.

God’s Country, a weekly show hosted by country music songwriters Dan and Reid Isbell, focuses on the intersection between the music genre and outdoor living. The music show is available here and on the iHeartRadio app, everywhere podcasts are heard, as well as on MeatEater’s YouTube channel.