Neighbor knew Tracy Chapman would ‘go somewhere' when she was at Tufts in the 80s

Decades after her first performance of the hit song "Fast Car," Tracy Chapman is gaining new respect and a lot of new fans.

Chapman played the song as a duet alongside country star Luke Combs, who had a hit of his own with his cover of it last year, at the Grammy Awards Sunday night.

For Paul Rudolph, it's a familiar tune.

"That song was in my head for years," Rudolph said Monday.

That is because before Chapman made it big, she was a Tufts University student who lived across the street from Rudolph in the Davis Square area of Somerville, Massachusetts.

"I would be out in the backyard doing something and was like, 'Oh, What is that?' 'What do I hear?,' I would go in front and hear her playing on the porch," he said. 'I was like, 'Wow, she is going to go somewhere.'"

Chapman was soon discovered by a classmate while playing in Harvard Square. She went on to fame with songs, including 1988's "Fast Car."

Combs' cover of the song brought renewed attention 35 years later, and it even made Chapman the first Black woman songwriter to top the country music charts.

"Some artists stand the test of time. A good song is a good song," said Harry Sadler, co-founder and president of the Music Museum of New England. "Nothing has changed, she is charismatic, she has a great aura about her, and her heart comes through in her singing."

After Sunday night's performance, Chapman spent Monday atop the iTunes top songs chart.

Rudoph remains thrilled his one-time neighbor is still finding success all these years later.

"I hadn't heard any new stuff from her lately and was like, 'What happened to her? I hope she is doing good,'" he said. "She is doing good, apparently."