Tracy Chapman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tracy Chapman
Chapman performing in 2009
Background information
Born	(1964-03-30) March 30, 1964 (age 61) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Folk blues rock pop soul
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Elektra

Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her hit songs "Fast Car" (1988) and "Give Me One Reason" (1995).

She signed with Elektra Records in 1987. The next year, she released her first album, Tracy Chapman. This album became very popular. Her performance at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert helped boost its sales. The album sold millions of copies and won three Grammy Awards. These awards included Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Fast Car".

In 1989, she released her second album, Crossroads. Her third album, Matters of the Heart, came out in 1992. Her fourth album, New Beginning, was released in 1995. It was another big success worldwide. This album featured the hit song "Give Me One Reason," which won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.

She released more albums over the years: Telling Stories (2000), Let It Rain (2002), and Where You Live (2005). Her most recent studio album, Our Bright Future, came out in 2008. In 2015, she released a collection of her best songs called Greatest Hits.

In 2023, Tracy Chapman made history. She became the first Black person to have a solo song reach number one on the country charts. This happened when Luke Combs covered her song "Fast Car." She also won the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year for "Fast Car." This made her the first Black songwriter to win that award.

Her Early Life and Learning

Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother gave her a ukulele when she was three years old. Her parents divorced when she was four. She started playing guitar and writing songs at age eight. She has said that a TV show called Hee Haw might have inspired her to play guitar.

Growing up in Cleveland, she faced bullying. She attended an Episcopal high school. She was part of a program called A Better Chance. This program helps students attend college preparatory high schools away from home. She graduated from Wooster School in Connecticut. Then, she went to Tufts University to study anthropology.

While at Tufts, she often played her guitar and sang in public places. This is called busking. She played in Harvard Square and on train platforms. She also recorded demo songs at the Tufts University radio station, WMFO. This was to protect her song copyrights.

Becoming a Music Star

Tracy Chapman first performed on a major stage in Boston in 1985. She opened for another musician, Linda Tillery. A student from Tufts, Brian Koppelman, heard her play. He showed a demo tape of her song "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" to his father, Charles Koppelman. Charles Koppelman ran a music publishing company. He signed Tracy in 1986.

After graduating from Tufts in 1987, she signed a contract with Elektra Records.

Chapman performing in Budapest, Hungary, 1988

In 1988, she released her first album, Tracy Chapman. Critics loved the album. She started touring and gaining many fans. Her song "Fast Car" became very popular after she sang it at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert. This concert was held at Wembley Stadium in London in June 1988.

She performed an early set at the concert. Later, she filled in at the last minute for Stevie Wonder. He was having technical problems. This second performance reached a huge audience. It greatly helped the sales of her song and album. "Fast Car" became a top 10 hit in the U.S. Rolling Stone magazine later called it one of the "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Her album sold millions of copies. It won three Grammy Awards. These included Best New Artist for Tracy. Later in 1988, she performed on the worldwide Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour.

Her next album, Crossroads (1989), also sold well. In 1992, she released Matters of the Heart. Her fourth album, New Beginning (1995), was a big success. It sold over five million copies in the U.S. It included the hit song "Give Me One Reason". This song won a Grammy for Best Rock Song in 1997. It became her most successful song in the U.S.

Her fifth album, Telling Stories, came out in 2000. She released her sixth album, Let It Rain, in 2002.

She was asked to write music for a play called Blood Knot in 2008. This play was about apartheid in South Africa. Her eighth studio album, Our Bright Future, was released in 2008. It earned her another Grammy nomination.

Chapman and Eric Clapton performing at a White House dinner, December 1998

In 2015, she sang "Stand By Me" on the Late Show with David Letterman. This performance became very popular online. On November 20, 2015, she released Greatest Hits. This album was her first collection of songs released around the world.

In 2020, before the 2020 United States presidential election, she sang "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" on Late Night with Seth Meyers. She encouraged people to vote.

In July 2023, Luke Combs' version of her song "Fast Car" became number one on the country music charts. This made Tracy Chapman the first Black woman to have a solo song reach number one in country music. In November 2023, she won the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year for "Fast Car." This was the first time a Black woman won a CMA Award for Song of the Year. In February 2024, she joined Luke Combs on stage at the 66th Grammy Awards to sing "Fast Car."

Helping Others

Tracy Chapman is very active in social and political causes. She often supports groups that work for human rights. In 1988, she performed in London for the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This was with Amnesty International.

That same year, she performed at a concert for Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. This event raised money for the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa. It also helped several children's charities. She also performed at an event in Paris in 1998 to celebrate Amnesty International's 50th anniversary.

Chapman at a 2007 performance

In 2000, she sang a duet with Luciano Pavarotti at a charity concert. In 2004, she performed and rode in the AIDS/LifeCycle event.

She has also helped schools in Cleveland. She made an educational music video about important moments in African-American history. She also sponsored an essay contest for high school students.

She has received special honors for her work. In 1997, she received an honorary doctorate from Saint Xavier University. In 2004, her old university, Tufts University, gave her an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts. This was to recognize her dedication to social activism.

I'm fortunate that I've been able to do my work and be involved in certain organizations, certain endeavors, and offered some assistance in some way. Whether that is about raising money or helping to raise awareness, just being another body to show some force and conviction for a particular idea. Finding out where the need is – and if someone thinks you're going to be helpful, then helping.

In April 2023, the South African Presidency announced a special award for Tracy Chapman. She received The Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo. This award honors foreign people who have shown friendship to South Africa. She received it for her help in the fight for freedom. This included her efforts to free Nelson Mandela and raise awareness about human rights around the world.

Tracy Chapman often performs at charity events. These include Make Poverty History and amfAR. She is also a feminist.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Tracy Chapman (1988)
• Crossroads (1989)
• Matters of the Heart (1992)
• New Beginning (1995)
• Telling Stories (2000)
• Let It Rain (2002)
• Where You Live (2005)
• Our Bright Future (2008)

Awards and Honors

Tracy Chapman has won many awards for her music and her work helping others.

Grammy Awards

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Tracy Chapman para niños