Tracy Chapman

There has always been a speculation on Tracy’s sexual orientation but she never really revealed it to the media, saying that her personal life is different from the professional work that she does. She dated the writer Alice Walker in 90s.

Tracy is a known political and social activist who has never left an opportunity to use her important position and persona to propagate some or the other agenda related to human rights. She is a self-confessed feminist.

Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio but she moved to Connecticut at a very young age. She was born and brought up in a middle class environment. She was inclined towards music from very early in age and her mother recognized her talent.

She was gifted a ukulele by her mother when she was only three years old and by the age of eight she started writing songs and playing guitar. After finishing her high school, she went to study in the Tufts University on a minority placement scholarship.

She studied anthropology and African studies at Turfs and during this period, she got captivated with folk-rock singers and started to sing as a hobby at coffeehouses. This eventually led to her recording songs at her college’s radio station.

In 1986, Tracy met Elektra Records’ manager Elliot Roberts, which helped her to start her musical career. She recorded ‘For My Lover’ for a Boston based Folk magazine ‘Fast Folk Musical Magazine’ that used to sell with a record.

In 1988, she released her debut album ‘Tracy Chapman’, produced by Elektra. She toured US after the release of her album. She also performed at the Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute Concert at the Wembley Stadium, England in the same year.

In 1989, her follow-up album ‘Crossroads’ was released, co-produced by Tracy herself and Kershenbaum from Elektra. In the same year her new album was certified platinum and it ranked at number 2 at the US billboard.

In 1990, she performed at the ‘Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute For A Free South Africa Concert’ at Wembley Stadium, England. She also participated in a rally for Nelson Mandela at the Yankee Stadium, New York and sang ‘Born To Fight’ from ‘Crossroads.

In 1991, she inaugurated the Impressions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for its annual dinner in Woldorf Astoria Hotel, New York. In the same year she played at a Martin Luther King celebration at the Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN.

Tracy was honored with three Grammy awards in the beginning of her career. Her first studio album ‘Tracy Chapman’ released in 1989 won 3 Grammys in the categories of: Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performer and Best Contemporary Folk Album.

She received her fourth Grammy award in 1997 for her album ‘New Beginning’, in the category for the Best Rock Song, for the song ‘Give Me One Reason’. Alongside the award, she received many other Grammy nominations for the same album.