Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 30, 1964. Raised by her mother after her parents divorced when she was four, she began playing the ukulele at age three and started writing songs and playing the guitar by age eight. Growing up, she experienced racial tensions in her community. Through a minority placement scholarship, she attended the Wooster School in Connecticut and later went to Tufts University, where she studied Anthropology and African Studies. During her university years, she began performing on the Boston folk circuit and recorded demos at the campus radio station.

Career Breakthrough

Chapman's career launched after a fellow Tufts student, Brian Koppelman, introduced her to his father, Charles Koppelman, who ran a major music publishing company. This connection led to a contract with Elektra Records in 1987. Her debut album, "Tracy Chapman," was released in 1988 to critical acclaim. A pivotal moment in her rise to fame was her performance at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in London. Stepping in for Stevie Wonder who had technical difficulties, her solo performance of "Fast Car" captivated a global audience and propelled the album's sales. The album eventually topped the Billboard 200 chart and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

Debut Album and "Fast Car"

Her debut album, "Tracy Chapman," featured socially conscious lyrics and spawned the hit singles "Fast Car," "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution," and "Baby Can I Hold You". "Fast Car" became a top 10 hit in the U.S. and the U.K. The album earned Chapman six Grammy nominations, and she won three awards in 1989: Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Fast Car," and Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Subsequent Career and Musical Style

Chapman has released several other albums throughout her career. Her second album, "Crossroads" (1989), achieved platinum status. This was followed by "Matters of the Heart" (1992). Her fourth album, "New Beginning" (1995), was another major success, largely due to the hit single "Give Me One Reason," which won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. Her later albums include "Telling Stories" (2000), "Let It Rain" (2002), "Where You Live" (2005), and "Our Bright Future" (2008).

Activism and Personal Life

Throughout her career, Chapman has been a dedicated social and political activist, performing at numerous events to support human rights and other causes. She performed at a tribute concert for Nelson Mandela while he was still imprisoned and has supported Amnesty International. Chapman is known for keeping her personal life private. While she has never publicly discussed her sexual orientation, author Alice Walker has stated they were in a romantic relationship in the mid-1990s.

Recent Recognition

In 2023, Chapman's song "Fast Car" gained renewed attention when country singer Luke Combs released a cover version. This cover topped the country charts, making Chapman the first Black woman to have a number-one country hit as a solo songwriter. She also won the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year for "Fast Car" in 2023. In February 2024, she performed "Fast Car" as a duet with Combs at the Grammy Awards.