Why did Tracy Chapman stop performing? The reason she disappeared from the spotlight as she makes surprise Grammys appearance

Tracy Chapman gave a surprise performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards after stepping away from fame

Tracy Chapman returned to the stage for a surprise performance at the Grammy Awards 2024 on Sunday night, delighting the audience and viewers around the world with the rare appearance.

The music legend teamed up with country music star Luke Combs to perform a duet of her iconic 1988 single Fast Car. Luke famously released a cover of the hit song last year, going on to win Song of the Year at the Country Music Awards in 2023 for his rendition of the classic.

Tracy was met with applause as she took to the stage with her guitar alongside Luke, surprising the audience with what was one of just a handful of TV performances done in the past 14 years.

Despite her huge success with not only Fast Car but songs such as Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution and Give Me One Reason, Tracy stepped away from the spotlight of the music industry following her 2009 tour which ended in August of that year – and according to Variety, has only performed in front of cameras three times since. So why did Tracy Chapman give up a life of performance in music?

WHY DID TRACY CHAPMAN STOP PERFORMING?

Despite a successful music career and the global popularity of Fast Car, Tracy became somewhat reclusive after her 2009 tour and has rarely performed publicly since.

Her last notable public performance came alongside a 2020 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, during which she sang Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution in a bid to encourage viewers to vote in the 2020 United States Presidential election.

But what sparked Tracy’s decision to move away from music publicly and stop performing? The answer is seemingly that it was simply down to her desire to no longer be in the public eye as she found it “uncomfortable”.

Speaking to the Irish Times in 2015, Tracy explained, “Being in the public eye and under the glare of the spotlight was, and it still is, to some extent, uncomfortable for me, but there are some ways by which everything that has happened in my life has prepared me for this career,” adding that she is “a bit shy”.

Admitting that she is “perhaps not the ideal person” for the job, Tracy said that while she has a natural flare for music, poetry and words, she doesn’t quite have the personality to thrive under the spotlight.

“I love books, I love reading, and I basically grew up in a public library. I’ve always loved poetry, music was always in the house, and there was such a range of different music around. My mother sang, my sister could sing, music was so much in the fabric of my life and upbringing. At the same time, I have this personality that is a bit on the reserved side, and which had never really sought out the limelight,” she said