TRACY GRAMMER
Picture
Picture
Dave Carter circa 1995. Photo by Brenda Howard.

accolades
"A truly amazing artist."
​-Judy Collins


"There is a special gift for writing songs that are available to other people, and Dave's songs are very available to me. It's a kind of genius, you know, and Dylan has the biggest case of it. But I hear it in Dave's songs, too." -Joan Baez


"A major lyrical talent." 
-Los Angeles Times


Dave Carter Legacy Project on Facebook

Dave Carter Legacy Project on Twitter

recent highlights

2015: "When I Go" covered by Judy Collins and Willie Nelson

​2014: Inducted in to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame
THE LATEST NEWS: We are delighted to report that Judy Collins has recorded "When I Go" in a duet with Willie Nelson for her new album, STRANGERS AGAIN (Wildflower Records 2015). Ms. Collins astounded audiences at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival this year with her heartfelt performance of the song. Video by Kathy Sands-Boehmer.

----------------------------------------------------------------
DAVE CARTER began writing songs when he was six years old, but he did not enjoy national recognition until he was well into his 40's. Carter's trajectory on the national folk scene spanned four short years, from his 1998 wins at the Kerrville New Folk, Napa Valley, and Wildflower Performing Songwriting Contests to a five-week tour with Joan Baez the spring of 2002. The summer of 2002, at the height of his popularity, he died of a heart attack while on tour. He was 49 years old. 

Over the past decade, artists at every level of the spectrum have performed Carter's songs, with Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Willie Nelson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chris Smither, Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky, The Kennedys, and Ellis Paul being among the most notable. To date, more than 100 different artists have covered the work of Dave Carter -- a testament to the resonance and reach of a masterful songwriter whose career was altogether too brief. 

Playing a sole and unique role in bringing Carter¹s music to the public is Tracy Grammer, Carter¹s touring partner, muse, and advocate from 1996-2002. In addition to sharing the stage with Carter, Grammer was the duo¹s first booking agent, promoter, accountant, publicist, and manager. Her unshakable dedication to Carter¹s legacy took hold in a small Portland bar where she first saw him perform; she continues to promote Carter's work to this day. Since 2002, Grammer has carried the duo's music to audiences around the world, sharing the songs and the stories behind them with fans who may or may not have ever seen the duo play live. She has worked tirelessly to continue to bring recordings, transcriptions, and archival materials to an ever-expanding fan base, doing everything in her power to ensure that Dave Carter's work and life story continue to circulate through the folk world and beyond. 
 
Preserving, fostering and promoting Dave Carter¹s music for the present and for future generations is a big job -- too great a job for one person, no matter how dedicated. A larger platform is needed to ensure the preservation of Dave Carter¹s folk music legacy, and every dollar helps us toward that goal. 

We welcome your help. To make a donation by mail, or to offer services, please write or call:

Dave Carter Legacy Project
c/o Tracy Grammer Music
PO Box 831
Greenfield, MA 01302-0831
info@tracygrammer.com

mission statement

The Dave Carter Legacy Project is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and engagement of the work of Dave Carter for present and future generations.

initiatives

  • establish a dynamic, interactive online presence
  • engage audience/performers with the music through innovative programs and contests
  • create a thorough digital archive of all print, photographic, and audiovisual materials in the collection

projects in progress...

1. collection, storage, and archival of:
  • photos
  • recordings
  • video
  • songwriting workshop notes
  • lyric notebooks and early versions
  • reviews, interviews, statistics related to the published work
  • any other ephemera we can find that will shine a light on Carter's songwriting process, as well as the contour of his public career

ON HOLD:

2. development of a website that will serve as an online community scrapbook for the items collected above, to which the public may contribute

3. a YouTube contest called The Great Dave Carter Cover-Up to find the best performance of a Dave Carter song
Home
Tour
Press

Booking


Gallery
RealWomenRealSongs
Discography

Licensing


Store
Contact
Dave Carter Legacy Project
© 2015-2023 Tracy Grammer Music
PO Box 831, Greenfield MA 01302

  • Home
  • Shows
  • Store
  • Press
  • Gallery
  • Discography and Lyrics
  • Licensing
  • Booking
  • RealWomenRealSongs3
  • EPK
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Shows
  • Store
  • Press
  • Gallery
  • Discography and Lyrics
  • Licensing
  • Booking
  • RealWomenRealSongs3
  • EPK
  • Contact
  • Blog