American songwriter and singer, Tracy Chapman is well known for singing pop, blues rock, folk, and soul. Moreover, she can play guitar, vocals, and harmonica. She was born in 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tracy, raised by her mother after a divorce, wrote songs and played guitar for the first time when she was only eight. She likes to separate her personal and professional life, but it depends on her work.
Tracy loves poetry, music, and reading books. She got raised in an environment with books. However, her music-related skills were limited to her house, and now she performs before thousands of people.
According to an American social activist, poet, novelist, and short-story writer, Alice Walker, she had a romantic relationship with Tracy in the 1990s though Tracy has not disclosed anything related to her personal life.
Tracy got a bachelor’s degree from Wooster School and majored in Anthropology from Tufts University. The latter also honored her with a doctorate in Fine Arts for being socially active.
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Tracy Chapman Net Worth
Tracy Chapman Net Worth is $8 million as of July 2023. Tracy earned $20,000,000 from her self-titled album in 1988. Her album named ‘Crossroads’ provided her with $2,200,000 in 1989. It got platinum status though it was less commercially successful than her debut album.
Tracy’s album, Matters of the Heart, released in 1992, got certified with gold status and provided her only $560,000. However, she made $6,200,000 from her fourth album, New Beginning, released in 1995. Its over five million copies got sold in the US and was a commercial success.
Tracy’s fifth album, Telling Stories, released in 2000, provided her with $882,500. It got certified gold by RIAA later. She made $300,000 from her sixth album, Let It Rain. Her album, Where You Live, released in 2005, provided her with $120,000. It also got a gold status from IFPI-SWI.
Tracy got nominated for Grammy Award for ‘Our Bright Future,’ her eighth studio album released in 2008. She earned $215,000 through it. The album got nominated for Best Contemporary Rock Album in 2009.
Tracy purchased a house in Half Moon Bay, California, in 1997 for $970,000. On the other hand, she got $5 million in 2017 by selling the one-acre property.
Nicki Minaj, the famous American singer, songwriter, and rapper, asked Tracy if she could use her song, Baby Can I Hold You, but Tracy denied it. Later, Tracy found Nicki using some parts of her song, ‘Sorry.’
Thus, Tracy sued Nicki for copyright infringement and won $450,000 in 2020. Apart from this lawsuit, Tracy did not get into any significant controversy or scandal.
Tracy’s most successful single is ‘Give Me One More Reason,’ included in ‘New Beginning,’ her fourth album. It got considered the Best Rock Song, and she won the 1997 Grammy. She encouraged people to vote in the 2020 Presidential elections through her performance.
Tracy Chapman’s Charity Work
Tracy Chapman is a feminist. She remains socially and politically active and performs for several charity events, including amfAR (the Foundation for AIDS Research), Make Poverty History (a group of organizations spread across several countries), and AIDS/LifeCycle.
According to Tracy’s statement on National Public Radio in 2009, she gets approached by several charitable organizations for some help. She goes through the requests and does as much as she can.
However, Tracy is inclined towards human rights. For instance, she performed in honor of Nelson Mandela and donated the collected amount to children’s charities and The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) in South Africa. She faced racial discrimination and related assaults in her childhood.
Tracy has significantly helped South African children through her sponsorships and educational videos regarding the nation’s history. Thus, she got recognized for her solidarity, support, and friendly relations with South Africa by The South African Presidency on 16 April 2023. She got honored for the same on 28 April 2023.
Tracy feels in the case of her charity work. She gets assisted by some organizations and helps people in some way. She likes that people find her helpful. Moreover, she believes not only in raising money but also awareness.
Tracy has not released new music since 2008 though she has not retired. She made a rare public appearance in 2020, as mentioned above. Tracy confessed to having always been uncomfortable with being in the limelight. According to her, she is a bit shy and an active musician.
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