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.

Yes! I didn't want to list every song I love but all of the above as well. Plus Telling Stories and Born to Fight.

So basically all the songs she's written!

That's a misunderstanding of what's happened.

Fast Car was released on the mainstream pop/rock charts. It did very well as did TC, it had a ton of radio play, on pop/rock stations.

She did take a step back from the limelight later on, which is why she's perhaps less known to some younger people. I don't think she ever enjoyed being in the media spotlight.

This cover was done by a country artist, is being played on country radio, and being tracked on the country music charts. The production is similar, but it's false to say it's identical, it's clear it's being marketed to a country music audience.

Which is why it's being recognized at the Country Music awards now. They were hardly likely to give an award to a song that wasn't in any way considered a country music song, why would they?

Love Tracy.

Got the impression she was one of those people with her head screwed on, so quietly made her music, made Ok money, and kept her life away from all the vultures and opportunists who swarm around successful entertainers.

There's so many stars who basically get pumped by greedy management to be cash cows indefinitely.

(think of S Club 7 and Britney or Elvis - making huge amounts of money for others, sent out to have their personal lives ripped to shreds by the media.

Taylor Swift and Beyonce seem to be rock solid with great support and able to make their music when they want, but not true for everyone).

When actually, as soon as they have a bit of success, if they invest it wisely they're set for a nice private life and good for them.

Obviously it would be nice to have more Tracy Chapman songs.

But I like the thought of her just privately chilling and enjoying the royalties coming in.

I'm going to YouTube for the nostalgia now!

But I like the thought of her just privately chilling and enjoying the royalties coming in.

My understanding is that a fair portion of her money has gone to a number of humanitarian projects (a bit like JKR?). Although maybe in recent years she has just been living a quiet life, and now has just a little bit more with her talent being made known not just to a younger audience, but to an audience who previously wouldn't have listened to her music.

Looks like she hasn't really toured since 2009 :(

I’m just posting this here because everyone should see this. It’s just magical.

https://twitter.com/realbrittain/status/1754316190552375724?s=42&t=QsLZWw4AAriTG0o1SOp6SQ

That was wonderful NotBad. Thank you for posting the link.

Firstly, she looks amazing. Second, I love her bashful smile when everyone cheers when they realise it’s actually her. Third, Combs seems to be in awe of the fact he’s performing it on stage with her. Finally, it’s just a beautiful performance 🥲.

Well that was so beautiful it made me teary.

Not the point of the thread, but the Luke coombs? Cover of fast car is a fucking abomination. I can't believe it won an award.

Thank you so much for posting that link.

She looks great, she sounds great, and a lovely reminder that low key accoustic songs can inspire as much emotion as a big stadium ballard.

Am off to find some tissues, I seem to have something in my eyes.

Wow, she is an amazing singer, an amazingly talented songwriter and an extremely beautiful woman. But I'm a bit confused about the hype around this. She, and Fast Car, were HUGE in the UK. Was she not as successful in the US? She certainly seems to have won plenty of nominations and awards. This does all feel a bit, ooh look aren't we great, letting this 'unknown' black woman have some success and
Combs seems to be in awe of the fact he’s performing it on stage with her
Yeah, I'm not getting that, I'm getting 'Aren't I great, allowing her to be a part in my fame journey, bet she's sooo glad I chose her song'.
I dunno, maybe I'm just being pissy, but something's off. She's amazing. She was always amazing. Fuck tons of people already knew she was amazing but there seems to be a different narrative being written.....pfft.

This came up earlier in the thread, which is as you say, years later Country Music recognising her.

But also a good excuse to start a thread about Tracy Chapman!!

I remember her being huge in the 80s.
Anyone born in the 90s or later probably wouldn't have heard of her. I'd say they wouldn't know cindi lauper either.

Congratulations to Tracy (and Luke!). It’s a great song, you deserve it.

Hahahahaha - rolling stone had her on the cover in 1988. 



Thanks for the link, Notbadconsidering. It is wonderful. Fast Car is one of my all-time favourite songs and it is wonderful to see her as a gorgeous beautiful older woman, singing it with such joy.

Mine DC too - I normally walk in singing along to an old track. The look of astonishment - "how do you know the words to this?" I go and rescue my vinyl single or album!!

Tracey was definitely casting some shade on poor Luke with her beautiful performance. He was whiny and underpowered in comparison. Word to the wise Luke: keep it solo if you want to retain any cred.

Tracey Chapman won 23Grammys 1989. Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. So she and the song were both widely recognized when it originally came out.

This time it was recognized by Country Music Awards for Song of the Year, since she wrote it. And while the CMA's may get some flak for not recognizing black musicians, there just aren't that many black country singers or writers in general.

Good for her, I have always enjoyed her work.

Yes, the song was huge when it came out. Part of the soundtrack of my youth! I'm not quite sure why anyone would think she was under-recognised at the time, except perhaps by one or two specific industry entities. But at any rate, I'm glad that she is getting renewed recognition now, so that younger listeners can catch up.

Which is ridiculous considering the many amazing black singer song writers but there we go. And in some ways it's sad that her son Fast Cars has been rediscovered due to a white man doing a cover. Last month or December he won another accolade off same song

But it’s common for artists to see a renewed interest because of a cover, or a pop culture use or a sample. Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You was recorded in 1973. It went ballistic in 1992, biggest single of the year and biggest selling single by a female recording artist. I’m sure Dolly was happy people rediscovered her song when the pay checks started rolling in.

Same with Kate Bush. A song featured on Stranger Things and all of a sudden there’s a rediscovery of her music and she’s topping the charts again. I don’t see how any of these things are sad.

And she won the award not him. It goes to the songwriter. She just didn’t accept it in person.