Biography of Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman was the most successful folk-based performer to emerge in the '80s. Born in Cleveland, she won a scholarship to the Wooster School in Connecticut, then attended Tufts University. She began singing on street corners and in coffeehouses in the Boston area, then she signed with Elektra Records after graduating from college.Chapman cut her debut album, prominently featuring her throaty alto and acoustic guitar, with minimal added instrumentation. Her songs were closely observed tales of lower-class life (the hit "Fast Car") and political rhetoric ("Talkin' 'bout a Revolution"), sung compellingly. Released on April 1, 1988, Tracy Chapman became a #1 international hit, selling three million copies in the U.S. and a reported 6½ million more overseas. Chapman toured extensively behind it, including a series of Amnesty International benefits around the world. She won three 1988 Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. Crossroads, her second album, was released in 1989 and was also a million-seller. Her third album, Matters of the Heart, was released in 1992. ~ William Ruhlmann