A gifted storyteller with enduring appeal, Tracy Chapman’s unexpected ascent from the Boston folk scene to mainstream popularity in the late 1980s proved pivotal in helping restore singer/songwriters to the spotlight. Delivered with an earthy grace, her simple melodies and affecting, often socially conscious lyrics resonated with fans around the globe, who helped turn her eponymous 1988 debut into a Grammy-winning multi-platinum success. Seemingly averse to commercial whims, Chapman has managed to avoid the pitfalls of trendiness, building on early hits like “Fast Car” and 1996’s bluesy “Give Me One Reason” with a durable catalog that plays to the strength of her craft and convictions. Throughout the 2000s, her fan base remained strong on both sides of the Atlantic with albums like Let It Rain and Where You Live as well as a foray into composing for theater. While her studio output has remained scant since 2008’s Grammy-nominated Our Bright Future, Chapman has continued to perform, and in 2015 sang an evocative rendition of Ben E. King’s classic “Stand by Me” on one of the final episodes of Late Night with David Letterman that became a viral hit. A Greatest Hits compilation was released that same year.
Raised in a working-class neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, Chapman learned how to play guitar as a child, and began to write her own songs shortly afterward. Following high school, she won a minority placement scholarship and decided to attend Tufts University, where she studied anthropology and African studies. While at Tufts, she became fascinated with folk-rock and singer/songwriters, and began performing her own songs at coffeehouses. Eventually, she recorded a set of demos at the college radio station. One of her fellow students, Brian Koppelman, heard Chapman play and recommended her to his father, Charles Koppelman, who ran SBK Publishing. In 1986, she signed with SBK and Koppelman secured a management contract with Elliot Roberts, who had worked with Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Roberts and Koppelman helped Chapman sign to Elektra in 1987.
Chapman recorded her debut album with David Kershenbaum, and the resulting eponymous record was released in the spring of 1988. Tracy Chapman was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and she set out on the road supporting 10,000 Maniacs. Within a few months, she played at the internationally televised concert for Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday party, where her performance was greeted with thunderous applause. Soon, the single “Fast Car” began climbing the charts, eventually peaking at number six. The album’s sales soared along with the single, and by the end of the year, the record had gone multi-platinum. Early the following year, the album won four Grammys, including Best New Artist.