Ben Fuller Earns First Christian AC Airplay No. 1 With ‘Who I Am’
Written by djfrosty on October 20, 2022
Ben Fuller notches his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Christian AC Airplay survey (dated Oct. 22) with “Who I Am.” In the tracking week ending Oct. 16, the song increased by 4% in plays, according to Luminate. The 35-year-old singer-songwriter co-wrote the track with Krystal Polychronis and David Spencer (the latter of whom co-produced it with Bryan Fowler). The song is set to be on Fuller’s forthcoming debut LP.
Fuller, who hails from southern Vermont, grew up working on his family’s dairy farm and has been public about overcoming his battles with cocaine and alcohol addiction.
“Three years ago this fall marks the time that I accepted Jesus into my heart, and this week I was told my first single, ‘Who I Am,’ has reached No. 1 on Billboard,” Fuller says. “There’s nothing God can’t do, because with Him, anything is possible.”
The last maiden entry to reach the summit on Christian AC Airplay was Katy Nichole’s “In Jesus Name (God of Possible),” which led for five frames starting on the list dated May 22. Among rookie solo males, Cory Asbury most recently achieved the feat before Fuller, with “Reckless Love” for 11 weeks beginning in April 2018.
A ‘Good’ Week
On Gospel Airplay, Zacardi Cortez hits No. 1 with “You’ve Been Good to Me,” which increased by 2% in plays in the tracking week.
Co-penned by Cortez, the song is the veteran artist’s fifth Gospel Airplay leader, among nine top 10s. He had last led with “You Don’t Know,” for seven weeks starting in January 2020. He first reigned as featured, with Shawn McLemore, on James Fortune & FIYA’s “I Believe,” for 19 weeks beginning in September 2010.
With five Gospel Airplay leaders, Cortez ties for the eighth-most since the list launched in 2005. Tamela Mann leads all acts with nine No. 1s.
Cortez has a second song on the Oct. 22-dated Gospel Airplay chart, as PJ Morton’s “The Better Benediction,” featuring Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers and Darrel “MusiqCity” Walls climbs 29-28.