Mary Chapin Carpenter facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Mary Chapin Carpenter
Carpenter in 1995
Born	(1958-02-21) February 21, 1958 (age 67) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	Brown University (BA)
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Country folk
Instruments	Vocals acoustic guitar
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Columbia Nashville Zoë Lambent Light/Thirty Tigers

Mary Chapin Carpenter (born February 21, 1958) is an American country and folk music singer and songwriter. She is known for her thoughtful songs and unique blend of country and folk sounds.

Mary Chapin Carpenter started her music career singing in clubs in the Washington, D.C. area. She signed with Columbia Records in the late 1980s. Her first album, Hometown Girl (1987), did not have any big hits. However, she became well-known with her albums State of the Heart (1989) and Shooting Straight in the Dark (1990).

Her most successful album is Come On Come On (1992), which sold millions of copies. Her next album, Stones in the Road (1994), won her a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. Mary Chapin Carpenter has won five Grammy Awards in total. She also had a number one hit song in 1994 called "Shut Up and Kiss Me". Her songs often mix country and folk styles and sometimes include themes about women's experiences.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Musical Journey and Success
Collaborations and Other Projects
Musical Style and Themes
Personal Life and Interests
Awards and Achievements
Discography
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Mary Chapin Carpenter was born on February 21, 1958, in Princeton, New Jersey. Her father worked for Life magazine. When she was 12, her family moved to Tokyo, Japan, for about two years. Her mother, Mary Bowie Robertson, was a folk singer and guitarist.

As a child, Mary learned to play her mother's ukulele and classical guitar. She also started writing her own songs. A science teacher who played guitar also inspired her. After her family moved to Washington, D.C., in 1974, Mary began performing in folk music places. She went to Brown University and studied American civilization. By 1981, she was performing her own songs. She became friends with John Jennings, a songwriter and producer. They worked together and made demo tapes of her songs, which she sold at her concerts.

Musical Journey and Success

Starting with Columbia Records (1987–1991)

John Jennings originally planned for Mary Chapin Carpenter to sign with a smaller music label. However, a nightclub owner sent her demo songs to Columbia Records in Nashville. This led to her signing with Columbia in 1987. Her first album with them was Hometown Girl. On this album, Columbia hyphenated her name as "Mary-Chapin" to make it clear it was one first name. She wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on this album. Even though it didn't have any hit singles, it became popular through word-of-mouth in folk music circles. This helped her get invited to play at the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

Mary wanted her next album to be more popular on country radio. In 1989, her song "How Do" became her first song to appear on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. This song was from her second album, State of the Heart. The album had three more hit songs, including "Never Had It So Good", which became her first top-ten hit. She won the Top New Female Vocalist award from the Academy of Country Music in 1989.

Her third album, Shooting Straight in the Dark, came out in 1990. It included her songs "You Win Again" and "Going Out Tonight". It also featured a cover of "Right Now" by Gene Vincent. The song "Down at the Twist and Shout", which featured the Cajun band BeauSoleil, became a big hit in 1991. This song won Mary Chapin Carpenter her first Grammy Award in 1992 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She also won Top Female Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music and Female Vocalist of the Year from the Country Music Association (CMA) in 1992 and 1993.

Big Hits: Come On Come On and Stones in the Road (1992–1995)

Cajun band BeauSoleil accompanied Carpenter on her 1991 hit "Down at the Twist and Shout".

Mary Chapin Carpenter's fourth album, Come On Come On (1992), was her most successful. It sold over four million copies in the United States. This album had seven hit songs. The first was "I Feel Lucky", which reached number four on the country charts. Another popular song was her cover of Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses", which became a top-five country hit. In 1993, Mary joined other female country singers for a TV special called The Women of Country.

Other hits from Come On Come On included "The Hard Way", a cover of Dire Straits' "The Bug", "He Thinks He'll Keep Her", and "I Take My Chances". "I Feel Lucky" and "Passionate Kisses" both won Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album featured other musicians like Shawn Colvin and the Indigo Girls. Critics noted that the album had a stronger, more direct feel than her earlier works.

Carpenter had a hit in 1993 with a cover of Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses".

In 1994, Mary released Stones in the Road. This album reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Its first song, "Shut Up and Kiss Me", became her only number one hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. The album sold two million copies. Mary wrote every song on this album herself. Stones in the Road won her first Grammy Award for Best Country Album. "Shut Up and Kiss Me" also won Best Female Country Vocal Performance, making it her fourth win in that category in four years.

Later Years with Columbia and New Labels (1996–Present)

In 1996, Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded "Dreamland" for a lullaby album. The lyrics were also published in a children's book. Her last studio album in the 1990s was A Place in the World (1997). She wrote all the songs on this album. The lead song, "Let Me into Your Heart", was a top-20 country hit. After this album, Mary decided to slow down her career and spend more time with family and friends.

In 1999, she released her first greatest hits album, Party Doll and Other Favorites. It included live recordings and new studio songs. "Almost Home" was one of the new songs and became her last top-40 country hit.

Carpenter in 2006.

Her next album for Columbia was Time* ...* Love* (2000). The title was a short way of saying "Time is the great gift; love is the great mystery." She recorded this album in London. Mary wanted to make an album she truly enjoyed, rather than focusing on radio hits. Her contract with Columbia ended with her album Between Here and Gone (2004). This album included songs inspired by the September 11 attacks.

After leaving Columbia, Mary Chapin Carpenter signed with Zoë Records in 2006. Her first album with them was The Calling (2007). It reached number ten on the country albums charts and was nominated for a Grammy. Soon after, she had to cancel concerts due to a health issue, but she recovered and returned to music. In 2008, she released Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas, her first Christmas music album.

Carpenter's 2012 album Ashes and Roses included a duet with James Taylor.

She continued to release albums with Zoë Records, including The Age of Miracles (2010). Many songs on this album were inspired by her recovery from her health issue. Her album Ashes and Roses (2012) featured a duet with James Taylor. This album's songs were influenced by personal life changes and the death of her father. In 2013, she released Songs from the Movie, which featured orchestral versions of her songs.

In 2015, Mary Chapin Carpenter started her own record label, Lambent Light Records. Her album The Things That We Are Made Of (2016) was released through this label. In 2018, she released Sometimes Just the Sky, which included new recordings of songs from her past albums and one new song. Her album The Dirt and the Stars was released in August 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she performed a solo acoustic concert without an audience, which was released as the album and DVD One Night Lonely. This earned her another Grammy nomination.

Mary Chapin Carpenter continues to release new music. In January 2025, she released Looking for the Thread, a collaboration with Scottish folk singers Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart. She also released a new album on June 6, 2025, called Personal History.

Collaborations and Other Projects

Mary Chapin Carpenter has worked with many other artists. She sang on the Indigo Girls' album Nomads Indians Saints in 1990. She also sang with Shawn Colvin and Radney Foster. In 1993, she joined Billy Ray Cyrus, Kathy Mattea, Tanya Tucker, and Pam Tillis on Dolly Parton's song "Romeo", which was nominated for a Grammy.

In 1996, she covered John Lennon's "Grow Old with Me" for a tribute album. This song became a hit on the Adult Contemporary chart. She also sang "Dead Man Walking (A Dream Like This)" for the movie Dead Man Walking. In 1997, she covered Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" for the movie My Best Friend's Wedding. In 2002, she sang with Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris on a cover of Johnny Cash's "Flesh and Blood", which was nominated for a Grammy.

Mary Chapin Carpenter has also written songs for other artists. These include Cyndi Lauper's "Sally's Pigeons", Wynonna Judd's "Girls with Guitars", and Trisha Yearwood's "Where Are You Now".

Musical Style and Themes

Mary Chapin Carpenter's music is known for its folk influences and meaningful lyrics. She became popular on country radio in the 1980s and 1990s by sharing her smart and emotional songs with a wide audience. Her early albums had a soft, folk sound.

Critics have noted that her music often uses electric guitar in her more upbeat songs. She is also praised for bringing new melodies to country music. Unlike many country artists, Mary Chapin Carpenter often writes her own songs. Her songs sometimes explore themes that are not typical for country music, like the spiritual life of old shirts or Halley’s Comet.

Her lyrics often show the challenges of love and heartbreak from a female point of view. She has written many songs about single women overcoming difficulties in their lives. Her singing voice is described as clear and strong, especially on songs like "Passionate Kisses" and "He Thinks He'll Keep Her." These songs explore themes of desire and self-fulfillment.

Personal Life and Interests

For much of her career, Mary Chapin Carpenter was unmarried. She was seen as a voice for single women in their thirties. On June 1, 2002, she married Timmy Smith. They lived on a farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia. After some personal life changes, she continued to live on the farm.

Mary Chapin Carpenter has also written columns for The Washington Times where she discussed music and politics. She is known for her support of various charities. For example, in 2002, she joined other artists in a concert to raise awareness about landmines. She also led a Habitat for Humanity project that helped women build homes for people in need.

Awards and Achievements

Mary Chapin Carpenter has won many awards for her music. She has won five Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music awards, and two Country Music Association awards.