Luke Combs Reveals How His Dad Inspired Him to Record Hit Cover of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' (Exclusive)

Luke Combs is reflecting on his big year.

In April, the country superstar released a twangy cover of Tracy Chapman's 1988 hit "Fast Car," and the track raced to the top of the country music charts, as well as peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

But Combs wasn't necessarily thinking about airplay when he decided to release it; instead, the recording was inspired by happy childhood memories with his father, Chester Combs.

"When I was 5 years old, my dad and I would be in his truck, and he would always play music for me. He had a Tracy Chapman cassette tape, and 'Fast Car' is one of the first songs I remember," the North Carolina native, 33, tells PEOPLE. "I’ve always been a huge fan of it and think of my dad and our time together when I hear it."

In addition to climbing the charts, Combs' cover has also earned some accolades: He won single of the year at the CMA Awards, and it was also named song of the year at the same show, making Chapman the first Black woman to win the award. Now, Combs is nominated for best country solo performance at the 2024 Grammys in February. (This is his seventh nod.)

"It opened up new doors for me that I had never had opened before, but I’m honestly just glad the song moved back in the spotlight and got introduced to a new audience that may have never heard it before," Combs — who will hit the road for his Growin' Up and Gettin' Old Tour in April 2024 — says. "It’s one of those songs that should be around forever, so I’m thankful it got a new life."

Since breaking out in 2017 with his hit single "Hurricane," Combs has become a Nashville mainstay. But even he had no idea his "Fast Car" cover would take on the life it has.

"I always thought it was one of the best songs of all time, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised," Combs says, "but there’s nothing like Tracy’s version, so I thought it would just be a nice complement to the original but never really expected mine to take off quite the way it did."