Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

CHAPMAN, Tracy

(b 30 March '64, Cleveland OH) Singer-songwriter. Majored at Tufts University at Medford MA in anthropology and African studies. Introduced to David Kershenbaum '86 who produced her debut and co-produced her second album. The debut Tracy Chapman '88 on Elektra dealt with personal relationships and social issues: 'Behind The Wall' addressed the issue of battered partners; 'Why?' dealt with abundance and poverty side by side; 'For My Lover' was a tale of self-sacrifice. She supported John Martyn on tour in Britain and did a showcase concert at London's Donmar Warehouse with Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs '88; a live recording of 'Behind The Wall' from this performance appeared on the B-side of the single 'Fast Car'. Her appearance at the internationally televised Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Party in London July '88 was a big boost; she toured that year in the Amnesty International package worldwide; 'Fast Car' went to no. 7 UK/20 USA, the LP to no. 1 UK/6 in USA. Interestingly her first album was a major source of songs for Jamaican artists, and covers proliferated. Her second album Crossroads '89 again addressed mainly social ills and personal tribulations; the video for the title-track single was directed by Spike Lee, but heartfelt introspection without much gift for phrasing is not the stuff of superstardom; her songs also seemed to be about unrelieved hurt with no prospect of redemption. Matters Of The Heart '92 barely registered and she all but became invisible, but came back with New Beginning '95, her low profile explained partly by an injury to her 'strumming hand'. A cool delivery still pervaded despite singing about crime, infidelity and environmental issues, though the bluesy 'Give Me One Reason' gave heart to the hope that she could soar. Chapman has been compared to performers such as Joan Armatrading and Odetta by unimaginative critics because she was black and wrote her own songs, but the comparisons did not stand up, merely pointing to the rarity of black women performers achieving anything like the scale of success that Chapman initially had.