Fast Car: Tracy Chapman's road to fame and a quiet life

The impressive 2024 return of Tracy Chapman
What has Tracy Chapman been up to?
From university to the stage
First record deal
Sincere, pure songs
Fast Car
Social criticism
Breakthrough at Mandela tribute
Bestseller
Not a star
A discreet personal life
Grammy Awards
Withdrawn
Select performances
Never comfortable in the spotlight
Activism and leisure
Covers and royalties of 'Fast Car'
30th anniversary
Music continues to be relevant
2020 call to vote
Universal message
The latest cover by Luke Combs
Tracy Chapman has made history
The impressive 2024 return of Tracy Chapman

She stole our hearts - again - during the Grammy Awards ceremony of 2024. Tracy Chapman performed 'Fast Car' next to Luke Combs and went viral all around the world.

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed and enjoy more photo galleries

What has Tracy Chapman been up to?

Tracy Chapman became famous in the late 1980s. She even played at Nelson Mandela's birthday concert at Wembley Stadium in 1988. But what did she do after her amazing rise to fame in the 80s?

 

From university to the stage

Chapman never had the plan to go onto the big stage, but life turned out differently. At age 23, she was discovered for her musical talent by a fellow student at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

First record deal

Brian Koppelmann, whose father was a music producer, heard Chapman playing and persuaded her to sign her first record deal with Elektra Records. There, she released her debut album, 'Tracy Chapman,' in 1988.

Sincere, pure songs

Chapman's music is characterized by simplicity and pureness of heart. Some songs only have a single riff, a few chords, or no instrumental accompaniment at all.

Fast Car

On her debut album was 'Fast Car,' a song that defined Tracy Chapman to this day. It also included the political statement 'Talkin' 'bout a Revolution,' and the vulnerable love song 'Baby Can I Hold You.'

Social criticism

Amidst the 1980s of synthesizers and happy dance songs, Chapman reintroduced a serious tone in pop music, experts at the German outlet 'Deutschlandfunk Kultur' say. The singer-songwriter dealt critically with the issues of her time.

Breakthrough at Mandela tribute

The big tribute concert for Nelson Mandela in Wembley Stadium put Tracy Chapman in the worldwide spotlight in 1988. She didn't just play her own small set, but she also stepped in when Stevie Wonder's set experienced technical problems.

Bestseller

Tracy Chapman's first album reached number 1 in several countries, including the US, UK, and Canada. Northern Europe also went wild for the singer. In Germany, for example, the single 'Why' sold more copies than Michael Jackson's 'Thriller.'

Not a star

Chapman, who initially didn't want a big career, was modest about her successes and never saw herself as a star.

A discreet personal life

She also wanted to keep the private and the professional strictly separated. Chapman never went into the topic of whether she was gay or straight, The Guardian says, based on an interview with author Alice Walker in 2006. The writer claimed that she had had a relationship with Tracy Chapman in the 1990s.

Grammy Awards

Tracy Chapman won three Grammy Awards with her first album. Her second album, 'Crossroads,' reached the top 10 in several countries once again - such as the US, UK, and Australia - and she was nominated for another Grammy.

Withdrawn

After those first two albums, however, things seemed to have become more quiet around the musician. Nowadays, she lives in San Francisco and continues to make music, but she only performs at select events.

Select performances

As music critic Olga Hochweis reported in the German publication 'Deutschlandfunk Kultur,' Chapman has rarely performed in the past decades. She sang for the Obamas and on the Letterman Show in 2015 while promoting her Greatest Hits album.

Never comfortable in the spotlight

In an interview with Irish Time in 2015, Chapman said that she was rather reserved herself and therefore never felt completely comfortable in the spotlight.

Activism and leisure

Instead of touring, Chapman has been involved in humanitarian projects that are primarily dedicated to African-American children. The singer also enjoys hiking and going to the beach in her free time, the German publication reports.

Covers and royalties of 'Fast Car'

The royalties from the evergreen 'Fast Car,' which media like The Daily Beast estimate are in the hundreds of thousands or more, must have helped her in being able to do whatever she wanted to do in life.

30th anniversary

In 2018, fans received a message from Chapman to mark the 30th anniversary of her first album. Via Facebook, Chapman called on her fans to share personal stories about the album.

Music continues to be relevant

Although Chapman's first album is over 30 years old, the themes of poverty, racism, and violence against women that she sings about are still relevant, says music critic Olga Hochweis in 'Deutschlandfunk Kultur.'

2020 call to vote

In 2020, Chapman appeared on the 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' show to perform her song 'Talking about a Revolution.' She played it from home via a video connection. It was a call for Americans to go out and vote in the 2020 presidential elections, she said.

Universal message

The story of 'Fast Car,' about a dream of a better life, is universal and has been covered by artists such as Justin Bieber, Passenger, and dance artist Jonas Blue.

The latest cover by Luke Combs

In 2023, the song once again became a huge hit. This time it was a country version by Luke Combs. Released in March 2023, 'Fast Car' reached a higher position in the charts than Tracy Chapman's initial version had. Chapman told Billboard that she was glad to see people reconnect with the song.

Tracy Chapman has made history

And the song made history: at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards, it became the first 'Country Song of the Year' written by an African-American composer. Tracy Chapman also became the first African-American artist to have a number-one single on Country Radio. Finally, at the 2024 Grammys, 35 years after she won her first with 'Fast Car,' Chapman was nominated for an award once again.

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed and enjoy more content

 

More for you