Tracy Chapman the Greatest

The dude that sings "Fast Car" is a chick? Whoa.

The first time I heard her sing I bought all of her albums.

I've seen and heard her once, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. When? I'll have to just guess, maybe around 1990. What a voice, she's terrific.

I used to like Tasmin Archer.

Hi, yeah, Tracy is a female. She's never been one to adhere to the traditional norms of the entertainment business with regard to makeup/cosmetics, straightened/professionally stylized hair, glam/seductive fashion. I find her completely authentic, natural, Afrocentric presentation to be bold, refreshing and quite lovely. You aren't the first to mistake her natural, unadorned look as masculine but personally I've never had that experience. From the first time I saw her back in 1988 I immediately recognized her as female, and a quite attractive one at that.
Thanks for your reply. Hope to hear from you again.

Me too. I was an ardent fan at first listen. She really blew my mind -- her tremendous singing voice, her excellent guitar playing and her awesome songwriting gifts. She had it all. I identify with all of the different themes she tackles in her songs, from the personal to the social to the political. She's been a great inspiration to me through the years. I adore all of her recordings, but the "Crossroads" album holds especially deep meaning for me.

I've seen her live several times in NY and NJ and she's been excellent every time. She sounds even better live than on records, if that's possible She sings with such sincerity and conviction that I'm almost mesmerized. I saw her at Carnegie Hall in NYC, it was just her and her guitar and it was THE greatest performance by any artist ever that I have ever heard. It was a night I'll always remember. She is my all time favorite living performer. I hope and wish and pray that she makes another record and goes out on tour again. It would be hard for me to believe that she doesn't have more great music inside her that she could share with the world. If she tours again, I'm definitely there, no matter what!

Hi, that name sounds a bit familiar but I can't quite place it. I'll have to check her music out. Is Tasmin Archer a singer-musician-songwriter who came out in the same era as Tracy Chapman? Or is she more current? Are there any particular songs/albums of hers that you would recommend I start out listening to? I'm always enthused to check out new musicians (I mean new to me). Thanks for the tip!

Early 1990s, British, her big hit was "Sleeping Satellite".