Tracy Grammer Long Biography (being updated)
 Backstage at Philadelphia Folk Fest 2012.
"Tracy is a brilliant artist… Her voice is distinctive and beautiful, as is her mastery over the instruments she plays." – JOAN BAEZ "Tracy Grammer is among the finest singers and musicians anywhere in folkdom." – THE BOSTON GLOBE TRACY GRAMMER is one of contemporary folk music's most beloved artists. Renowned for her pure, emotive vocals, perfectly intoned violin, and guitar playing that is by turns percussive and delicate, Grammer is also a gifted storyteller whose incantations add a rare mixture of vulnerability, intimacy, and hard-won insight to her performances. As one fan puts it, "With Tracy, it's never just about the music; it's a soul journey."
And what a journey it has been. Grammer rose to acclaim as half of the "postmodern, mythic American folk" duo, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer. From 1998-2001, the duo released three internationally celebrated, chart-topping albums featuring Carter's mytho-poetic Americana songcraft and in 2002, toured with Joan Baez, both as featured artists and Baez's bandmates. Called “the new voice of modern folk music,” the duo was clearly in its ascendancy when in July 2002, Carter suffered a fatal heart attack mid-tour. He was 49; Grammer, 34. Determined to honor the duo's trajectory and bring Carter's songs, and those of other favorite writers, to broader audiences, Grammer kept to the road, releasing several solo and archival recordings, including 2012's LITTLE BLUE EGG (Red House Records), the #1 most-played album on Folk Radio in 2012 with that year's #1 most-played song. Grammer is currently on tour celebrating the release of LOW TIDE, her first album of original songs and the #9 most-played album on folk radio for 2018. “Even though I’ve been writing prose all my life, I didn’t see myself a songwriter until writing songs became the only way to resolve the pains and unanswered questions of my life. LOW TIDE is an album of revelations, confessions, and ultimately, healing. I am proud of the writing and utterly thrilled with the sounds." Co-produced with long-time musical collaborator Jim Henry, LOW TIDE was released January 19, 2018 on Grammer's own label, Tracy Grammer Music, and is available through Fish Records in the U.K. Grammer plays theaters, coffeehouses, and festivals across the United States and Canada regularly, and has traveled to Europe and Japan. She holds the record for the most consecutive appearances at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and performs in a variety of configurations, with Jim Henry (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Burns Sisters, Susan Werner), Paul Kochanski (Lori McKenna, Threesies, Nields), Lorne Entress (Lori McKenna, Catie Curtis, Mark Erelli) and David Chalfant (Nields, Stephen Kellogg) rounding out her ensembles. In addition to touring, Grammer is a budding actor, starring in Greenfield Community College's spring production of Richard Nelson’s “Sorry” at the Sloan Theater April 18-28, 2019. She is the director of the Dave Carter Legacy Project and administers the publishing for Carter’s songs, as well as her own. Tracy lives in Greenfield, Massachusetts with her beloved Miss Kitty. She is represented by Baker Booking of Asheville, North Carolina. 
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TIMELINE
1968: born in Florida 1977: started playing violin 1982: became head cheerleader 1986: grad w/honors laguna hills HS 1986: entered UC Berkeley 1986: made first tourist booth demo 1993: joined first band, juicy 1994: met curtis coleman 1995: won karaoke contest in modesto 1995: graduated UC Berkeley 1996: moved to portland 1996: joined Dave's Texas Underground Express with dave carter 1997: started duo with dave carter 1998: released when i go 1998: left day job to be a folksinger 1999: signed with signature sounds 2000: released tanglewood tree 2000: signed with fleming/tamulevich 2001: released drum hat buddha 2002: toured with joan baez twice 2002: first solo performance 2003: opened tour for joan baez 2003: sang with mary chapin carpenter at live oak festival 2004: released the verdant mile 2005: released flower of avalon 2005: moved to western massachusetts 2005: first european tour 2006: signed with mad mission agency 2006: released seven is the number 2007: released book of sparrows 2008: released american noel 2011: signed with red house records 2011: first japan tour 2012: moved to pennsylvania 2012: released little blue egg 2012: released joy my love 2012: 13th consecutive performance at falcon ridge folk festival 2012: started dave carter legacy project 2013: father, first musical influence, died 2014: joined realwomenrealsongs 2014: moved to massachusetts 2016: first songwriting teaching gig 2017: launched successful kickstarter campaign for low tide 2017: first national tour with miss kitty 2018: released low tide in february 2018: second annual tg + kitty national tour 2018: joined eliza gilkyson trio (occasional) 2019: signed with baker booking 2019: cast as barbara apple in "sorry" at sloan theater, greenfield ma 2019: judged great american song contest 2020: first fan club cruise |