Tracy Chapman becomes the first Black person to win Song of the Year at the CMAs

[IwantToRetire]

Just posting this because I really like her music.

I think Fast Car is one of her best songs.

She has always been a bit under the radar, so even if it has taken 35 years for this song to be acknowledged, it is well deserved.

And she is a woman in an industry that isn't that good at acknowledging women's musicality.

And it was Country Music Awards!! (I wasn't aware it had been rerecorded)

Yeah for Tracy Chapman

Thanks for your music.

Tracy Champman was not under the radar. Fast Car was a big hit in the late 80s!!

What about Charley Pride?!

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Why do people keep saying she's been under the radar/ not recognised? It's not true at all. Shes been very well known since the 80s.

Yep

Tracy Chapman under the radar??
Is this a different Tracy Chapman than the very, very famous one?

Did she actually win it, or did Luke Combs who covered it?

Tracy Chapman won Song of the Year, because it's her song. Luke Combs won Single of the Year because he sang the cover of it.

https://cmaawards.com/nominees-winners/

Tracy Chapman is the first black songwriter (of either sex) to win the Song of the Year award, which is for the writer of the song who may or may not also be the singer. She is the first black woman to win any award of any kind at the CMAs.

Charley Pride won Entertainer of the Year in 1971.

Tracy Chapman wasnt under the radar, she was very well respected and talked about after her live performance at wembley (maybe band aid 1988). From then she has always been pretty well know. Shes fab.

There was a thread exactly the same as this saying TC was under the radar, everyone said exactly the same that she wasn't under the radar and Fast Car was a huge hit.

Ma da loved Charley Pride. Tracey Chapman was humungus then and probably still fair rakes it in. She is a legend. But fair play to her winning in the Country Awards!

I assume (may be wrong!) that the OP was v young/wasn't born in 1988 when Tracy Chapman hit the big time?

Love Tracy, love the melancholy and the yearning in her voice.

Good for her with the CMA win though. Bet she never expected to win a country music award!

Honestly the way some threads get derailed by one phrase. Of course i know about Tracy Chapman and how she first became known, but she hasn't ever been like on the front page like some singers or songwriters (not that she would have wanted to bepart of the starsystem), so in terms of the general public she has been "under the radar". But no surprise that those of FWR would have awareness of her.

Is everyone having a bad week and think they will come on FWR threads to share their negativity and sourness. You could have had a nice cup of tea and some cake!

I stupidly thought that it would be a chance to talk about what we liked about her, which were favourite songs.

Thanks to fedupandstuck for spelling out what her award is for and why it is significant.

When young people recently discovered Kate Bush (via her music featuring on Stranger Things) there were lots of comments from them as to why Kate hadn't had the success she deserved in the 80s! They genuinely thought she was this obscure artist that no one but them had appreciated

I know what you mean op. I love her but I don't think she's got the recognition she deserved for her songwriting and singing skills. I think she's not wanted to be in the spotlight though.

I can't agree. Tracey Chapman is hugely known and a 'name'; I think you've got it wrong on this OP.

I loved her music and listened to cassettes over and over until I knew all the words of the songs, teenager in the 80's.
Such a good songwriter and such a good live singer and she was massive back then. Good to see her getting recognized for her work and her music never ages. Fast Car is amazing and makes me all nostalgic when I listen to it.
There is always someone on every post on here lately that has to have a go or pick on something the op said, just ignore them as usually there will be a few arguing amongst themselves, just see the funny side as nothing to do with you op at all. Thanks for letting us know about her award.

That Wembley concert she performed Fast Car? I was there!!!! She was spine tingling.
Think it was the 1990 one when Mandela was there too.
God I feel old.

Fast Car is a timeless, wonderful song.

Thanks for sharing this news OP.

Fast Car is one of the best songs every written IMO, it is so bloody poignant. I was 13 when it came out. The whole album is just beautiful though, she has the most amazing voice and the most beautiful songs. Kate Bush on the other hand is like nails down a blackboard with her scritchy voice.

Aw Motherofcatboy that must have been unreal. I know I think back to when I saw Queen live at Slane Castle and I was only 17 back in the late 80's. Great memories and times felt so much safer as we all looked after each other. Years flying by so fast now.

I e never heard of her. But I was born in 1990. She's not a 'legacy' mainstream country name from my view.

Fast Car was ubiquitous at every backpacker bar/hostel in SE Asia throughout most of the 90s/2000s. Probably still is. Very famous to some, vaguely recognisable to a different audience.

she's not a country name at all. that's why it's so unexpected for her to win a country award...