Tracy Chapman Biography
Tracy Chapman was born March 20, 1964, in Cleveland, Ohio USA, where she learned to play the ukulele, piano and guitar as a child and eventually she began writing songs. After high school, Chapman relocated to Boston to attend Tufts University, there, she started to play her Folk-Rock music at local coffeehouses. She also recorded some demos that eventually landed her a deal with Elektra Records.
In the spring of 1988, Tracy Chapman released her eponymous debut album,
the record was an unexpected success as it soared to the #2 slot on The
Billboard Top 200 chart led by the single "Fast Car" which hit
#6 on The Billboard Hot 100 and broke into the top 20 of The Mainstream
Rock Tracks chart; "Fast Car" was also a big hit in Britain
reaching the top 5; her first album went on to sell over 10 millions copies
worldwide, it contained two more singles: "Baby Can I Hold You"
which made a mid-chart appearance on The Billboard Hot 100 and "Talkin'
Bout A Revolution" which cracked the top 30 of both Mainstream and
Modern Rock Tracks charts. Some reasons for this were that Chapman had
the chance to perform at the Nelson Mandela Tribute Concert in London
and that she was invited to join the 6 weeks Amnesty International tour
"Human Rights Now!". The singer+songwriter in early 1989 won
three Grammy Awards including Best New Artist, the single cut "Fast
Car" was named Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and "Tracy
Chapman" won for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
"Crossroads", her second album, appeared in October 1989, it
debuted at #9 on The Billboard Top 200 list and within a month it went
platinum; the title-track hit #7 on the Modern Rock chart but the album
quickly fell down the charts.
Chapman returned two and a half years with "Matters Of The Heart",
the record failed to enter the top 50 of The Billboard 200 and the single
"Bang Bang Bang" never charted in the States.
November 1995 saw the release of her fourth album, "New Beginning",
which rose to #4 on The Billboard 200 and after over seven years away
from The Billboard Hot 100, Tracy Chapman scored her first U.S. #1 hit
with the bluesy "Give Me One Reason"; at the 39th Annual Grammy
Awards, the track was eventually honored as Best Rock Song.
Another four years passed before the singer+songwriter returned with a
new album, "Telling Stories" reached the #33 in U.S. and the
title-track peaked at #8 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart.
"Let It Rain" followed in October 2002, it climbed into the
top 30 of The Billboard 200 Albums chart.
In September 2005 Tracy Chapman released "Where You Live",
her seventh studio record and the first album in three years; the set
features the single "Change".
Her next album, "Our Bright Future ", was released in November 2008.
