According to consequence.net, earlier this week artist Tracy Chapman became the first Black woman in history to have the sole songwriting credit on number one country hit, thanks to Luke Combs’s cover of Chapman’s 1988 song “Fast Car.”
During an interview with Billboard Chapman expresses her joy about Combs’s cover of her smash it.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there.I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
Combs’s cover of “Fast Car” landed at number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and earlier this month, the country star’s “Gettin’ Old” single surpassed the Hot 100 peak of Chapman’s original when it rose from number eight to number four.
Also the song has a chance at topping the latter chart in the coming weeks and the song currently sits one spot below Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night, which spent 13 weeks at number one.
The original “Fast Car” peaked at number six on the Hot 100 and it was released as the first single from Chapman’s 1988 self-titled debut album, it earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
For his part, Combs described “Fast Car” as his “first favorite song” to Music Mayhem and recalled listening to it while riding in his dad’s truck.
“When I was probably four years old he had a tape cassette player in there, and I have the original cassette. My dad brought it to me a couple of years ago… I have the one and I have it in my shop.”