Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 30, 1964, and at a young age, she moved with her family to Connecticut
She was raised by her mother, who recognized her love of music from a young age, and despite not having much money, bought her a ukulele when she was just three.
Musician Tracy Chapman began writing music and performing in Boston, where she recorded songs at the WMFO radio station.
Chapman caught her big break in 1986 when a friend’s father introduced her to a manager at Elektra Records—with whom she recorded her first, self-titled album, which was released in 1988.
The album’s most popular single, “Fast Car,” landed at No. 5 on the U.K. charts and No. 6 on the U.S. charts.
That same year, Chapman performed at Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute Concert, which was held in Great Britain.
The album’s second single, “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution,” also met with wide acclaim, and ranked competitively on Billboard’s music charts.
Chapman received several honors following the release of Tracy Chapman, including three Grammy Awards in 1989—for best new artist, best female pop vocal performer and best contemporary folk album.
Though becoming a three-time Grammy winner is quite an accomplishment for any musician’s first project, Chapman didn’t waste any time before working on her next one.
Between performing songs from her Grammy Award–winning album, she continued to write and make rounds back to the studio to record Crossroads (1989), which she also co-produced.
Chapman dedicated one song on the album, “Freedom Now,” to Mandela.
Though the album didn’t receive the same acclaim as her first, it did find a place on Billboard’s 200, as well as other industry charts.
The singer-songwriter’s musical success again slightly dipped in 1992, with the release of Matters of the Heart, an album that peaked at No. 53 on the Billboard 200 and failed to receive any real international fame.
The “Matters of the Heart” Album included less memorable songs than Chapman’s previous projects, and fans were put off by her straying from folk and blues to a more upbeat, alternative-rock sound.
It was likely difficult for Chapman to predict, at that time, what was to come three years later, upon the release of her fourth studio album.
As the album’s title suggests, Chapman’s New Beginning (1995) proved to be a step back into the limelight for the musician, selling nearly 5 million copies in the United States alone.
The 1995 album far exceeded the appeal of Chapman’s previous projects, thanks to the widely popular single “Give Me One Reason,” as well as such catchy, soulful tunes as “Smoke and Ashes” and the album’s title track, “New Beginning.”
Though her 1995 success has yet to be matched, Chapman stays busy as an activist, speaking and performing on behalf of various organizations.
Chapman received her fourth Grammy Award in 1997, for best rock song (“Give Me One Reason”), as well as several Grammy nominations and other music awards.
Chapman’s 1995 success has yet to be matched.
Since New Beginning’s release, the musician has released a handful of albums, including Telling Stories (2000) and Our Bright Future (2008), and toured through 2009.
In recent years, however, Chapman has largely stayed out of the spotlight.
Outside of her musical career, Chapman has long worked as an activist, speaking and performing on behalf of several nonprofit organizations, including the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Circle of Life (no longer active).
During a 2003 event to benefit Circle of Life, Chapman performed a memorable duet with Bonnie Raitt, of the John Prine song “Angel From Montgomery.”
In 2009, she said: “I’m approached by lots of organizations and lots of people who want me to support their various charitable efforts in some way.
And I look at those requests and I basically try to do what I can. And I have certain interests of my own, generally an interest in human rights.”
In 1988, she performed in London as part of a worldwide concert tour to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Tracy Chapman is one of the most successful and celebrated singer-songwriters of her generation.
Her brand of acoustic pop-rock was a huge success around the world.
She celebrated her 56th birthday in 2020.
Tracy Chapman is best known for her hits ‘Fast Car’ and ‘Give Me One Reason’, along with other singles ‘Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution’, ‘Baby Can I Hold You’, ‘Crossroads’, ‘New Beginning’ and ‘Telling Stories’.
Tracy Chapman has never publicly spoken about her relationships or sexual orientation.
Many believe she is a very private lesbian.
During the mid-1990s, she was known to be in a relationship with writer Alice Walker.
Chapman has often spoken of a strong separation between her personal and professional life, saying:
“I have a public life that’s my work life and I have my personal life.
In some ways, the decision to keep the two things separate relates to the work I do.”
Tracy Chapman is estimated to have a net worth of approximately $8 million (£6.01 million).
Where is Tracy Chapman now?
While Tracy Chapman has not retired, she has not released any original music since 2008.
However, she made a rare public return by appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers in November 2020, performing ‘Talkin’ about a Revolution’ from home.
She said in 2015: “Being in the public eye and under the glare of the spotlight was, and it still is, to some extent, uncomfortable for me, but there are some ways by which everything that has happened in my life has prepared me for this career. But I am bit shy.
“I love books, I love reading, and I basically grew up in a public library.
I’ve always loved poetry, music was always in the house, and there was such a range of different music around.
“My mother sang, my sister could sing, music was so much in the fabric of my life and upbringing.
“At the same time, I have this personality that is a bit on the reserved side, and which had never really sought out the limelight.
“That has made me perhaps not the ideal person for this job.”
That same year she released her Greatest Hits compilation, during which time she told the press she had not retired.
She said: “I haven’t retired yet. However, at the moment there are no plans for a tour.
I think it’s nice not being on tour these days. It does take something away from everyday life, and I just appreciate being home.”
Since 2015, nothing has been heard about touring or new music, though the last fans heard from Tracy had dealings with Nicki Minaj.
In 2018, Tracy sued Nicki Minaj over copyright infringement, during which time she claimed the rapper had used a sample of her song Baby Can I Hold You without permission.
In September 2020, the copyright infringement trial over an unauthorized pattern of a Tracy Chapman music in a Nicki Minaj monitor was averted, as Minaj agreed to pay Chapman $450,000 to shut the case in paperwork filed Thursday (January 7th, 2021) in United States District Court docket.
The dispute arose on account of Minaj interpolating Chapman’s 1988 “Child Can I Maintain You” into her personal music “Sorry” in 2018.
After Chapman denied a request to approve the pattern — as she reportedly does with all such requests — Minaj left the music off her album.
However, in a wrinkle that made the case extra difficult, “Sorry” leaked anyway, days after the album’s August 2018 launch, with the leaker of file naming Minaj as his supply.
DJ Funkmaster Flex stated “Nicky (sic) gave me one thing” and put it out to the general public.
Chapman’s attorneys have been ready to argue that the truth that “Sorry” by no means obtained an official business launch mattered little in the face of the widespread availability of the monitor, flying in the face of Chapman’s specific disapproval.
The lawsuit was filed a few months after the leak, in October 2018.
In a doc drafted Dec. 17, 2020, lower than three months earlier than the case was set to go to trial, Minaj, additionally identified in the authorized filings as Onika Tanya Maraj, had her attorneys make the $450,000 supply, with all prices and legal professional charges included in that quantity.
Chapman’s attorneys stated she “accepts and supplies discover that she has accepted” Minaj’s supply of judgment in a separate doc dated Dec. 30.
The filings in the central district of the US District Court docket in California wrap up the dispute, which had been set for trial March 2.
African-Research.com wishes Tracy Chapman all the best in Life.
A true legend of music.
