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In just one night, Tracy Chapman wrote a life-changing hit
About this episode
The singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman made her voice heard in 1988 when she performed her song “Fast Car” for 90,000 people at a Free Nelson Mandela concert at Wembley Stadium. That song was off her self-titled debut album, which went on to win three Grammys and solidify her as an important American voice. Now, 35 years later, it’s still making an impact and it’s just been re-issued on vinyl. Tracy joins guest host Garvia Bailey to share her memories of making that record, why she thinks “Fast Car” means so much to so many, and how the years she spent busking on street corners taught her how to hold a crowd’s attention with just her voice and a guitar.
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