9 months ago
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I have watched Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs’ Grammy duet no fewer than 20 times. I just love it so much and wish they’d release it as a single so I can buy it to add to a playlist or two. I have a very distinct memory of watching Chapman perform this song live when I was a kid and it made me a lifelong fan. If you’ve never listened to her self-titled debut album, you should. It’s a stunning work of art that’s just as relevant now as it was then. Plus, her voice is just absolutely gorgeous.
There’s been a lot of renewed interest in Tracy since the Grammys, including a lot of social media coverage about her incredible rise to fame, which includes crossing paths with Billions co-creator Brian Koppelman while they were both college students at Tuft University. Koppelman’s dad was the co-owner of indie label SBK Publishing and after several months of convincing, he signed Chapman to the label. In 1988, Tracy Chapman was released with Fast Car as the first single. But the world really discovered Tracy’s talent after a very Universe-y moment that June, when she did a last-minute substitution for Stevie Wonder at the Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium. Since then, the singer has released eight studio albums, most recently in 2008. Her last public appearance was to sing the very first track off of her first album, the quietly powerful, Talkin’ ‘bout a Revolution, on Late Night with Seth Meyers in November 2020. So what has Tracy been up to since she largely withdrew from the spotlight? She’s been living her best life in San Francisco.
She’s “a bit shy”: “Being in the public eye and under the glare of the spotlight was, and it still is, to some extent, uncomfortable for me,” she told The Irish Times in 2015. “There are some ways by which everything that has happened in my life has prepared me for this career. But I am a bit shy.”
What she’s been up to professionally: She performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012, playing with the blues guitarist Buddy Guy, who was one of the honorees that year. She turned up at David Letterman’s final shows in 2015, doing “Stand by Me.” And on the eve of the presidential election in 2020, she appeared on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” performing “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” from her debut album; after the last notes, she moved aside to reveal a sign behind her saying “vote.”
Her quiet life in San Francisco: Chapman is so private that many San Franciscans were surprised to learn after the Grammys that she lives in their city. She’s not part of the socialite scene or involved in politics, and she seems to mostly avoid major events. But she can still be seen around town. The owner of a bookstore where she sometimes shops posted on X after her Grammys performance that she was “so down to earth in real life” when spotted buying food for her dog at a local pet store. (The post was later deleted.) Others have observed her standing in line at a popular bakery. Before the pandemic, she served as a judge for a high school scholarship program run by the founders of “Beach Blanket Babylon,” a now-defunct cabaret.
Is a return in the cards?: The Grammys performance instantly became a career highlight for Chapman, and it could well stoke demand for her return to recording and touring. This year she is also nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame. If she is inducted — a good bet — that could provide another opportunity for a public appearance.
“There’s always been demand for Tracy Chapman to return to performing,” Rich McLaughlin, the program director at WFUV, a radio station in New York that celebrates songwriters, said in an email. “Whether or not it will increase the chances of her doing so, however, is difficult to predict.”
She follows her muse: Chapman’s longtime fans may have their fingers crossed, but they have also learned patience. “Tracy Chapman is an artist who follows her muse, not market demand,” McLaughlin added. “If she based her decision solely on demand, she’d have returned to touring years ago.”
I am so glad that new generations, including younger millennials, are being exposed to Tracy’s music. I couldn’t be happier for all of this unexpected yet more-than-welcomed renewed success. After the Grammy performance, her original version of Fast Car hit #1 on iTunes for a few days, which is awesome. I can understand why she’d choose a quieter life out-of-the-spotlight, though, even though I selfishly wish we’d get to see and hear more from her! If you haven’t watched her Wembley Stadium performance, it’s a must-watch. Stand By Me is one of my favorite songs, so I also love her cover of it on Letterman. I’d also recommend checking out her performance of Give Me One Reason as the 1997 Grammys. If you like what you hear and want to do a deep dive, I love all of the first album. Oh, and The Promise, off of 1995’s New Beginnings is just incredible. Ahh, again, I’m so happy that it’s finally getting more recognition from a whole new audience!
photos credit: Joy Scheller / Avalon, Don Feria / Wenn / Avalon and Getty
