Tracy (also spelled Tracey or Traci or Trasci) is originally a British personal name, that refers to the family de Tracy or de Trasci from Tracy-Bocage in Normandy, France. There are several places called Tracy in Northern France and there are themselves a combination of the Gaulish male 's name Draccios or Latin Thracius and the well identified Celtic suffix -āko (place, property).^[1]

While the name is unisex within the United Kingdom it is more generally considered to be a female name. This may, in part, be due to its association with the' Essex Girl'. Particularly during the 1980s, alongside the name Sharon, it was a name considered to be archetypal of the 'Essex Girl'. Its popularity peaked during the 1960s, when Tracey was the sixth most popular female name and the alternate spelling Tracy was the 12th most popular.^[2]

It could refer to:

Places[link]

United States

• Tracy, California
  • Tracy Hills AVA, California wine region
  • Tracy Municipal Airport
  • Deuel Vocational Institution, a California state prison sometimes referred to as "Tracy"
• Tracy, a neighborhood in Wallingford, Connecticut
• Tracy, Indiana
• Tracy, Iowa
• Tracy, Minnesota
  • 1968 Tracy tornado
• Tracy, Missouri
• Tracy City, Tennessee
• Tracyton, Washington

Canada

• Tracy, New Brunswick
• Tracy, Quebec
• Sorel-Tracy, Quebec

France

• Tracy-Bocage, in the Calvados département, Basse-Normandy
• Tracy-le-Mont, in the Oise département, Picardy
• Tracy-le-Val, in the Oise département, Picardy
• Tracy-sur-Loire, in the Nièvre département, Centre
• Tracy-sur-Mer, in the Calvados département, Basse-Normandy

Weather[link]

• Cyclone Tracy, 25 December 1974, Northern Australia

People[link]

Surname[link]

See also Treacy

• Albert H. Tracy (1793-1859), US representative from New York
• Andrew Tracey, ethnomusicologist
• Benjamin F. Tracy (1830-1915), United States soldier and politician
• Chad Tracy, professional baseball pitcher
• Destutt de Tracy, French Enlightenment philosopher
• Hugh Tracey, ethnomusicologist
• Merlin Hanbury-Tracy, 7th Baron Sudeley
• Paul Tracy, professional automobile racer
• Phineas L. Tracy (1786-1876), US representative from New York
• Spencer Tracy, American actor
• William Tracy, American character actor
• William de Tracy (or Williame or Guillaume de Tracy), Anglo-Norman knight that took part in the assassination of Thomas Becket

First name[link]

Look up Tracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Trace Adkins
• Tracy Austin
• Trace Beaulieu, puppeteer, writer, and actor
• Traci Bingham, Actress
• Tracy Bonham
• Tracey E. Bregman
• Tracy Brookshaw
• Tracy W. Bush, Composer and voice actor
• Tracy Byrd, a country music singer
• Tracy Byrd (boxer)
• Tracy Chapman
• Tracy Lynn Cruz
• Tracey Curro
• Tracey Edmonds, President and CEO of Edmonds Entertainment Group, Inc.
• Tracey Emin
• Tracy Ferrie
• Tracey Gold
• Tracy Grandstaff
• Tracy Grimshaw
• Tracii Guns
• Tracy Harris
• Tracy Hickman
• Tracy Higgs
• Tracy Hines
• Tracy Kidder
• Tracy Lawrence
• Tracy Letts
• Traci Lords
• Tracy Marrow (Ice-T), rapper
• Tracy McGrady, NBA All-Star
• Tracy Middendorf
• Tracy Morgan, actor/comedian
• Tracy Nelson (disambiguation)
• Tracy Pollan
• Tracey Ross
• Tracy Scoggins
• Tracy D. Terrell
• Tracey Thorn
• Tracy Tormé
• Tracey Ullman
• Tracy Voorhees
• R. Tracy Walker
• Tracey Walter
• Tracey Wigginton
• Tracey John, musician 10:04s

Middle name[link]

• Patrick Tracy Burris (1967–2009), American spree killer

Fictional characters[link]

• Dick Tracy, a comic-book detective
• Tracey (EastEnders)
• Tracy, a character in the Battle Arena Toshinden fighting game series
• Tracy, a character in the video game EarthBound
• Tracy, a character from the 2010 comedy film Tooth Fairy
• Traci 13, a DC Comics heroine
• Tracy Barlow, a character from the English Soap Opera Coronation Street
• Tracy Beaker, a character in the book and TV series The Story of Tracy Beaker
• Tracy Bond, a character in the James Bond series
• Tracy Jordan, a character of the TV series 30 Rock
• Tracy Quartermaine Spencer, a character in the ABC soap opera General Hospital
• Tracey Sketchit (Kenji), a character in the Pokémon anime and the Pokémon manga series
• Tracy Strauss, a character in the TV series Heroes
• Tracey Stubbs, a character in the British sitcom Birds of a Feather
• Tracy Turnblad, a character in the Hairspray musical, 1988 film and 2007 film

Songs[link]

• "Tracy Jacks", by English group Blur from their 1994 album Parklife
• Tracy (song), by Scottish group Mogwai from their 1997 debut, Mogwai Young Team
• Tracy (song), by The Cuff Links on their first album Tracy in 1970
• Tracy (song), by DJ Ironik
• Tracy Hide (song), by The Wondermints from their self-titled album
• Tracie (song) by the British band Level 42
• Traci Brown (song) by Hanson

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Notes and references[link]

1. ^ Albert Dauzat et Charles Rostaing, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France, Librairie Guénégaud 1979. p. 682.
2. ^ [1]

Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman in Bruges in 2009
Background information
Born	(1964-03-30) March 30, 1964 (age 48)
Origin	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Folk, blues-rock, pop, soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, harp, bouzouki, banjo, clarinet, keyboards, organ, percussion, harmonica
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Elektra Records
Website	tracychapman.com

Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Crossroads", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.^[1]

Biography[link]

Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She was raised by her mother, who recognized Tracy's love of music and, despite not having much money, bought her a ukulele when she was just three.^[2] Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of eight. She says that she may have been first inspired to play the guitar by the television show Hee Haw.^[3]

Chapman was raised Baptist and went to an Episcopal high school.^[3] She was accepted into the program "A Better Chance", which helps minority students attend private schools. She graduated from Wooster School in Connecticut, then attended Tufts University.^[4] She graduated with a B.A. degree in anthropology and African studies.^[5]

In the mid-1990s, Chapman dated author Alice Walker.^[6] Chapman maintains a strong separation between her personal and professional lives. “I have a public life that’s my work life and I have my personal life,” she said. “In some ways, the decision to keep the two things separate relates to the work I do."^[7]

Chapman often performs at and attends charity events such as Make Poverty History, amfAR and AIDS/LifeCycle, to support social causes. She lives in San Francisco.

Career[link]

During college, Chapman began busking in Harvard Square and playing guitar in Club Passim and within other coffeehouses in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^{[citation needed]} Another Tufts student, Brian Koppelman, heard Chapman playing and brought her to the attention of his father, Charles Koppelman. Koppelman, who ran SBK Publishing, signed Chapman in 1986. After Chapman graduated from Tufts in 1987, he helped her to sign a contract with Elektra Records.^[5]

Chapman playing in Budapest, Hungary

At Elektra, she released Tracy Chapman (1988). The album was critically acclaimed, and she began touring and building a fanbase. Chapman's "Fast Car" began its rise on the US charts soon after she performed it at the televised Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in June 1988; it became a number 6 pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 27, 1988. Rolling Stone ranked the song number 165 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".^[8] It is the highest ranking song both written and performed by a female performer. "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", the follow-up, charted at number 75 and was followed by "Baby Can I Hold You", which peaked at number 48. The album sold well, going multi-platinum and winning three Grammy Awards, including an honor for Chapman as Best New Artist. Later in 1988, Chapman was a featured performer on the worldwide Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour. According to the VH1 website, "Her album helped usher in the era of political correctness — along with 10,000 Maniacs and R.E.M., Chapman's liberal politics proved enormously influential on American college campuses in the late '80s."^[9]

Her follow-up album Crossroads (1989) was less commercially successful, but still achieved platinum status. By 1992's Matters of the Heart, Chapman was playing to a small and devoted audience. Her fourth album New Beginning (1995) proved successful, selling over three million copies in the U.S. The album included the hit single "Give Me One Reason", which won the 1997 Grammy for Best Rock Song and became Chapman's most successful single to date, peaking at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following a four-year hiatus, her fourth album, Telling Stories, was released in 2000. Its hit single, "Telling Stories", received heavy airplay on European radio stations and on Adult Alternative and Hot AC stations in the United States. Chapman toured Europe and the US in 2003 in support of her sixth album, Let It Rain (2002).

To support her seventh studio album, Where You Live (2005), Chapman toured major US cities in October and throughout Europe over the remainder of the year. The "Where You Live" tour was extended into 2006; the 28-date European tour featured summer concerts in Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the UK, Russia and more. On June 5, 2006, she performed at the 5th Gala of Jazz in Lincoln Center, New York, and in a session at the 2007 TED (Technology Entertainment Design) conference in Monterey, California.

Chapman was commissioned by the American Conservatory Theater to compose music for its production of Athol Fugard's Blood Knot, a play on apartheid in South Africa, staged in early 2008.^[10]

Atlantic Records released Chapman's eighth studio album, Our Bright Future (2008).^[11] Chapman made a 26-date solo tour of Europe. She returned to tour Europe and selected North American cities during the summer of 2009. She was backed by Joe Gore on guitars, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Dawn Richardson on percussion.^[12]

Social activism[link]

Chapman is widely regarded as a politically and socially active musician. In a 2009 interview with American radio network NPR, Chapman is quoted as saying: "I'm approached by lots of organizations and lots of people who want me to support their various charitable efforts in some way. And I look at those requests and I basically try to do what I can. And I have certain interests of my own, generally an interest in human rights."^[3] This interest in human rights can be seen lyrically in her music. Songs such as 1988's "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution" highlight the importance of speaking up against injustice. An example is this lyric from "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution":

Don't you know, talking 'bout a revolution sounds like a whisper / when they're standing in the welfare lines.

Chapman's song "Fast Car" also brings awareness to the struggles of poverty, with lyrics such as:

I know things will get better / you'll find work and I'll get promoted / we'll move out of the shelter / buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

Chapman's activism extends further than her lyrics. She has performed at numerous socially aware events, and continues to do so. In 1988, Tracy Chapman performed in London as part of a worldwide concert tour to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with Amnesty International.^[13] The same year Chapman also performed in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute, an event which raised money for South Africa's Anti-Apartheid Movement and seven children's charities.^[14] More recently, in 2004 Chapman performed (and rode) in the AIDSLifeCycle event.^[15]

Chapman has also been involved with Cleveland’s elementary schools. A music video produced by Chapman that highlights significant achievements in African-American history has become an important teaching tool in Cleveland Public Schools. Chapman also agreed to sponsor a "Crossroads in Black History" essay contest for high school students in Cleveland and other cities.^[16]

In 2004, Chapman was given an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts by her alma mater, Tufts University, recognizing her commitment to Social Activism.^[17]

I'm fortunate that I've been able to do my work and be involved in certain organizations, certain endeavors, and offered some assistance in some way. Whether that is about raising money or helping to raise awareness, just being another body to show some force and conviction for a particular idea. Finding out where the need is - and if someone thinks you're going to be helpful, then helping.

—Tracy Chapman^[18]

Discography[link]

• 1988: Tracy Chapman
• 1989: Crossroads
• 1992: Matters of the Heart
• 1995: New Beginning
• 2000: Telling Stories
• 2002: Let It Rain
• 2005: Where You Live
• 2008: Our Bright Future

Contributions[link]

Duet songs:

• "The Thrill Is Gone" with BB King from his album Deuces Wild
• "Give Me One Reason" with Eric Clapton from the album A Very Special Christmas Live
• "Baby Can I Hold You" with Pavarotti from the DVD/Album Pavarotti and Friends for Cambodia and Tibet
• "Ain't No Sunshine" with Buddy Guy from his album Bring 'Em In
• "Trench Town Rock" with Stephen and Ziggy Marley at the One Love Bob Marley All Star Tribute
• "The Maker" with Dave Matthews on October 21, 2001 at the Bridge School Benefit

Covered songs:

• "The House of the Rising Sun" – Rubáiyát (LP)
• "The Times They Are A Changin" – Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Celebration (LP)
• "O Holy Night" – A Very Special Christmas 3 (LP) and A Very Special Christmas Live (LP)
• "Three Little Birds" – Live at the One Love Bob Marley All Star Tribute
• "Get Up Stand Up" – by Bob Marley featured on the Let It Rain tour edition CD2 (LP)
• "Stand By Me" – by Ben E. King on the XM Hear Music Radio Sessions Volume 1 (LP)

Awards and nominations[link]

Grammy Award History

• 1989
  • Best New Artist (Won)
  • Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Fast Car" (Won)
  • Best Contemporary Folk Recording for Tracy Chapman (Won)
  • Album of the Year for Tracy Chapman (Nominated)
  • Record of the Year for "Fast Car" (Nominated)
  • Song of the Year for "Fast Car" (Nominated)
• 1990
  • Best Contemporary Folk Recording for Crossroads (Nominated)
• 1997
  • Best Rock Song for "Give Me One Reason" (Won)
  • Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Give Me One Reason" (Nominated)
  • Record of the Year for "Give Me One Reason" (Nominated)
  • Song of the Year for "Give Me One Reason" (Nominated)
  • Best Pop Album for New Beginning
• 2010
  • Best Contemporary Folk Album for Our Bright Future (Nominated)

Other Awards

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tracy Chapman

• Tracy Chapman, Official website
• "Tracy Chapman", Atlantic Records
• "A Better Chance", Official Website, education program for minority students

Me One (born Eric Martin on August 19, 1970) is a multi-instrumentalist singer, song-writer and music producer born in Cardiff, Wales.

Educated in London and New York, he is the son of an English teacher (mother) from Kingston and a Pentecostal Church minister (father) from Port Antonio. He holds dual citizenship of both Jamaica and the UK.

His debut album as Me One was released in May 2000 on Universal-Island U.K.^[1] The 12 track release was titled As Far as I'm Concerned^[1] and featured Guru (from Gang Starr) on Do You Know and Michelle Gayle on a cover version of The Beach Boys track In My Room. The latter was released as a single, along with Game Plan and Old Fashioned. ^[2]

Aside from his solo work, Martin has written with (or for) Jeff Beck, Maxi Priest, The Roots, Capleton, Lynden David Hall and The Sugababes.^{[citation needed]}

He formed his own record label, Frenemy Records in 2005.^[3]

In 2011 he signed a recording deal with Glasgow based record label Innovation Music ^[4].

In addition to the Me One project, Eric Martin is known as an original member of Technotronic.

References[link]

This biographical article about a British singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2007)

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (April 2009)

Brian Tracy (born January 5, 1944 in Charlottetown, PEI, Canada) is a self-help author and motivational speaker. He serves as Chairman of Brian Tracy International, a human resource company based in Solana Beach, California, with affiliates throughout the United States and thirty-one other countries.

Early life[link]

After dropping out of high school before graduation, Tracy got a job on a tramp steamer and traveled around the world for eight years, eventually visiting more than eighty countries on five continents.

When he could no longer find a job as a laborer, he went into sales. Struggling at first, he decided to ask other successful salesmen for advice, and then to emulate them. By the end of his first year, he attained the status of top salesman. After his second year, he was made a Vice President in charge of 95 people. At the time he was only 25 years old.^[1]

Professional life[link]

Beginning in 1981, Tracy assembled his "success system", which was initially called "The Phoenix Seminar." Three years later, in 1985, he released an updated version of this seminar as a self-help audio tape entitled "The Psychology of Achievement".

Tracy's book Maximum Achievement was included as one of 50 success, motivation and leadership classics in the book 50 Success Classics^[2] (2004) by Tom Butler-Bowdon.

Tracy is a member of the board of trustees for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington, D.C.-based public policy research institute.^[3]

His body of work is loosely based on a number of other success "gurus" such as Earl Nightingale, Jim Rohn and Denis Waitley. He has recently^[when?] launched Brian Tracy University, an online course of study which is designed to assist entrepreneurs, business owners and sales professionals.

The Brian Tracy College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Andrew Jackson University (a distance learning school based in Hoover, Alabama), is named after him and based on his teachings. At the New York headquarters of ALM Media, a legal publisher, a motivational quote of Tracy's appears on the office wall: “excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends.”

In March 2008, Brian Tracy and some of his business partners created iLearningGlobal, which is another online learning community.^[4]

In January 15, 2009, Forbes.com reported that Tracy's books and seminars make about $25-30 million. He said that the more you read, the more you grow.

Personal life[link]

Brian Tracy's wife is named Barbara, and they have four children (Christina, Michael, David, and Catherine). Brian Tracy has three brothers, Robin, Dalmar, and Paul (Tracy dedicated his book "Million Dollar Habits" to his three brothers).

In April 2010, Tracy officially announced on his blog that he is suffering from throat cancer, which eventually disappeared.^[5]

Quotes[link]

• "Our mind is the most valuable possession that we have. The quality of our lives is, and will be, a reflection of how well we develop, train, and utilize this precious gift."
• "Successful people tend to become more successful because they are always thinking about their successes."
• "If you consistently and persistently do the things that other successful people do, nothing in the world can stop you from being a big success also."
• "You are the architect of your own destiny; you are the master of your own fate; you are behind the steering wheel of your life. There are no limitations to what you can do, have, or be. Except the limitations you place on yourself by your own thinking.^[6]
• "Resolve in advance that you will never give up, no matter what happens."

Books[link]

• Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed (1993) ISBN 0-671-86518-8
• Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere (1995) ISBN 0-684-82474-4
• The Psychology of Selling: The Art of Closing Sales (1995) ISBN 978-0-7435-2069-0
• Jones and the Salesman (1999)
• The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success (2000) ISBN 1-57675-126-0
• The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires: How to Achieve Financial Independence Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible (2001) ISBN 1-58376-205-1
• Eat that Frog: 21 Ways to stop Procrastination and get More Done in Less Time (2001) ISBN 1-58376-202-7
• Get Paid More and Promoted Faster (2001) ISBN 1-58376-207-8
• Focal Point (2001) American Management Association ISBN 0-8144-7278-8
• Victory!: Applying the Proven Principles of Military Strategy to Achieve Success in Your Business and Personal Life (2002) ISBN 0-8144-0750-1
• Be a Sales Superstar: 21 Great Ways to Sell More, Faster, Easier in Tough Markets (2002) ISBN 1-57675-175-9
• Create Your Own Future: How to Master the 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success (2002) ISBN 0-471-25107-0
• Goals!: How To Get Everything You Want—Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible (2003) ISBN 978-1-57675-235-7
• Turbostrategy: 21 Powerful Ways to Transform your Business and Boost Your Profits Quickly (2003) ISBN 0-8144-7193-5
• Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life (2003) ISBN 0-471-44858-3
• Getting Rich Your Own Way: Achieve All Your Financial Goals Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible (2004) ISBN 0-471-65264-4
• Time Power: A Proven System for Getting More Done in Less Time Than You Ever Thought Possible (2004) American Management Association ISBN 0-8144-7247-8
• Something for Nothing : The All-Consuming Desire that Turns the American Dream into a Social Nightmare (2005) ISBN 1-59555-038-0
• The Power of Charm: How to Win Anyone over in Any Situation (2006) American Management Association ISBN 0-8144-7357-1
• Crunch Point: The 21 Secrets to Succeeding When It Matters Most (2006) American Management Association ISBN 978-0-8144-7371-9
• Flight Plan: The Real Secret of Success (2008) ISBN 1-57675-497-9
• The Miracle of Self-discipline: The "No-Excuses" Way to Getting Things Done (2010) ISBN 1-908364-04-1

References[link]

External links[link]

• Brian Tracy International Official website
• Brian Tracy's Blog
• The Brian Tracy Executive MBA at Andrew Jackson University
• Works by or about Brian Tracy in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Tracy Lawrence
Background information
Born	(1968-01-27) January 27, 1968 (age 44) Atlanta, Texas[1]
Origin	Foreman, Arkansas, U.S.[2]
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals Acoustic guitar
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Atlantic Warner Bros. DreamWorks Nashville Mercury Nashville Rocky Comfort BamaJam
Associated acts	Flip Anderson, Larry Boone, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, James Stroud, Elbert West
Website	http://www.tracylawrence.com

Tracy Lawrence (born January 27, 1968) is an American country music artist. He started at a country music restaurant called "Live At Libby's" where owner Libby Knight would help local talent find their way into country music. Lawerence signed to Atlantic Records in 1991, Lawrence debuted that year with the album Sticks and Stones, which produced his first chart single and first Number One hit in its title track.^[2] Five more studio albums, as well as a live album and a compilation album, followed throughout the 1990s and into 2000 on Atlantic before the label's country division was closed in 2001. Afterward, he recorded for Warner Bros. Records, DreamWorks Records, Mercury Records Nashville and his own label, Rocky Comfort Records.

Lawrence has released nine studio albums, three compilations, a live album, and a Christmas album. His studio albums have accounted for more than thirty singles on the Billboard country music charts. Of these, eight have reached number one: "Sticks and Stones" (1991), "Alibis", "Can't Break It to My Heart", "My Second Home"(all 1993), "If the Good Die Young" (1994), "Texas Tornado" (1995), "Time Marches On" (1996) and "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" (2006).^[2]

Biography[link]

Tracy Lawrence was born in Atlanta, Texas, and lived most of his early life in Foreman, Arkansas. He played in his first band at the age of sixteen and later attended Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas, where he was a member of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity. In 1990 Lawrence left Arkansas for Nashville, Tennessee where he planned to find success as a recording artist.^[1]

Lawrence worked as an ironworker and in phone sales while he tried to break into the music business. He began participating in talent shows and earned enough money to live on. He began working with Wanda Collier, a music publisher, doing some shows and co-writing some songs, while learning his way around the music scene in Nashville. He had a gig at the Bluebird Cafe and met Wayne Edwards who became his manager.

Musical career[link]

[edit] 1991-1993: Sticks and Stones and robbery

With Edwards' assistance, Lawrence signed with Atlantic Records and began recording his first album Sticks and Stones. On May 31, 1991, before the album's release, Lawrence walked his former girlfriend to the door of her hotel room and was confronted by three armed men. The men robbed them and attempted to force Lawrence and his friend into her motel room. Lawrence resisted and was shot four times, allowing his friend to escape. Two of the wounds were major and necessitated surgery. One of the bullets remains embedded in Lawrence's pelvis.^[1]

Sticks and Stones, upon its late-1991 release, accounted for four singles on the Billboard country charts. First was the album's title track, which spent a week at Number One in January 1992.^[2] Following it were, in order: "Today's Lonely Fool", "Runnin' Behind" and "Somebody Paints the Wall."^[2] Sticks and Stones was also certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of one million copies. In 1992, he was also named by Billboard as Top New Male Vocalist.

[edit] 1993-1994: Alibis

His second album, Alibis, also produced four singles. The first of these, which was the title track, was his second number-one, as well as his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 72. After this song came "Can't Break It to My Heart", "My Second Home" and "If the Good Die Young", all of which went to number-one.^[1] The album was certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. In 1994, he contributed the song "Renegades, Rebels, and Rogues" to the soundtrack of the film Maverick.^[1] This song became a Top Ten hit for him as well, and in 1993, he was awarded as Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music.

[edit] 1994-1995: I See It Now

Lawrence's third album, the platinum-certified I See It Now, produced two consecutive number 2 hits in its title track and "As Any Fool Can See", the former of which was a number 84 on the Hot 100. The Bobby Braddock-penned "Texas Tornado" became his sixth number-one hit in mid-1995, followed by another number 2 in "If the World Had a Front Porch".^[2] Later in 1995, he released a live acoustic album, Tracy Lawrence Live and Unplugged.^[1]

[edit] 1995-1997: Time Marches On

Time Marches On, his fourth album, was released in 1996. Its lead-off single was "If You Loved Me", which reached a peak of number 4 in early 1996.^[2] Following this song was Lawrence's longest-lasting number-one hit, "Time Marches On", also written by Braddock.^[2] After this song came "Stars over Texas" and "Is That a Tear", both peaking at number 2.^[2] Time Marches On was certified double platinum by the RIAA.

[edit] 1997-1998: The Coast Is Clear and charges

Lawrence's fifth studio album, The Coast Is Clear, was issued in 1997. This album produced consecutive Top Five hits in the #2 "Better Man, Better Off" and #4 "How a Cowgirl Says Goodbye".^[2] The title track, however, became the first single of his career to miss Top Ten, peaking at #26, and the final single, "While You Sleep", fell short of Top 40.^[2] Nonetheless, The Coast Is Clear was certified gold.

In March 1997, Lawrence married his 2nd wife Stacie Drew, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. By December she had filed charges against him. He was eventually convicted of misdemeanor battery and suspended by his record label until he got "his personal matters straight." He was ordered to pay a $500 fine to a women's shelter in Las Vegas.^[1][3]

[edit] 1999-2001: Lessons Learned

In late 1999-early 2000, Lawrence returned to the charts with "Lessons Learned".^[1] This was the title track to his sixth album, 2000's Lessons Learned. "Lessons Learned" was Lawrence's only Top 40 hit on the pop charts, peaking at number 40 there. Despite this single's success, however, the other singles from the album ("Lonely" and "Unforgiven") did not peak as highly, reaching number 18 and number 35 respectively.^[2] By the end of 2000, Atlantic closed its Nashville division, and several acts on its roster, including Lawrence, were transferred to Warner Bros. Records. His only release for that label, Tracy Lawrence, produced only two low-charting singles in "Life Don't Have to Be So Hard" and "What a Memory" before he exited the label.^[1]

[edit] 2003-2004: Strong

Lawrence did not chart again until late 2003 with the release of "Paint Me a Birmingham". This song, which had also been a number 53-peaking single for Ken Mellons earlier that year, went on to peak at number 4 for Lawrence in early 2004.^[2] It was the first release from Strong, his only album for DreamWorks Records.^[1] Following this song were "It's All How You Look at It" and "Sawdust on Her Halo", at number 36 and number 48 respectively.^[2]

[edit] 2005-2006: Label change and Then & Now: The Hits Collection

Lawrence transferred to Mercury Nashville in 2005, where he released the compilation Then & Now: The Hits Collection. His only release for the label, this album included fifteen of his previous hits, all of which (except "Paint Me a Birmingham") had to be newly recorded as the label did not own the rights to his Warner Bros. and Atlantic releases.^[4] Two new tracks were included as well: "Used to the Pain", previously a single in 1998 for its co-writer, Mark Nesler, and "If I Don't Make It Back". These two new songs were both issued as singles, but after the release of the latter, Lawrence exited Mercury's roster.

[edit] 2006-2008: Business ventures and For the Love

Lawrence signs an autograph for a sailor aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), May 2007

In 2006, Lawrence started his own record label, Rocky Comfort Records. A partnership with his manager and brother, Laney, Rocky Comfort operates as a joint venture with CO5 Nashville. His first single for the label was "Find Out Who Your Friends Are", which was released in August 2006 from his album For the Love. This song did not enter Top 40 on the country charts until January 2007, when the album was released, and in June of the same year, it became his first Number One in eleven years.^[2][5] The song reached the top of the country charts in its forty-first week, setting a new record for the slowest-climbing Number One country single, and the second-slowest on any Billboard singles chart.^[5] It was also the first time that any artist had reached Number One with the first release from a self-owned label. The song's chart performance was aided by an alternate recording on the album which featured guest vocals from Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, although only Lawrence was credited on the charts. The re-recorded version received Musical Event of the Year honors at the 2007 CMA Awards, Lawrence's first award from that association.^[6] Following this song was "Til I Was a Daddy Too" at #32, and "You Can't Hide Redneck", the third single.^[2] Shortly before the latter, Lawrence also issued a Christmas album entitled All Wrapped Up in Christmas, the title track of which peaked at #57 based on Christmas season airplay. Chad Brock and Zona Jones also signed to the Rocky Comfort label,^[7] although Brock never released anything for it.

[edit] 2009: The Rock

Lawrence released the single "Up to Him" in early 2009. This is the first single for a studio album entitled The Rock, which was released in June 2009. The album is composed entirely of Christian music and has been nominated for a Grammy in the best southern, country or bluegrass gospel album category.

[edit] 2011: The Singer

Lawrence released the single "The Singer" in 2011.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

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