Singer-songwriter Tracie Spencer shot up to fame in the mid-90’s when she was just a teenager. With her smooth vocals and mature lyrics, it was hard for boys not to crush on her and girls not to want to be like her.
Her biggest hit, “Tender Kisses” stayed on the airwaves and was in constant rotation at parties of both the young and old. She was at the top of her career, and then it seemed like all of a sudden, she disappeared. You didn’t hear or see her for nearly 20 years!
But the past year and half, Tracie is back singing, touring around the country and even hit another personal milestone: getting an advanced degree–in healthcare!
She took to her social media to post about the achievement.
You May Also Like
“I graduated last weekend and wanting to share it with ya’ll,” writes Tracie on her Instagram. “The day began with some of my family and a short service at the cemetery for my parents. Then we had lunch at one of my mom’s favorite restaurants, my pinning ceremony, and we ended at a family friend’s martini bar. The day was marked by closure and a new chapter in my life. The past few years have been full of highs and lows and growth. I’ve learned so much about me and grateful for the those that pulled me out of the darkness. It is indeed a blessing to exist. For a girl who didn’t like school a whole lot, I now have 2 degrees. I am proud of me. I hope my story inspires others. Wherever there is darkness there is light. #scrublife #musician #iowalife #psycholgy #medicine”
The Iowa native began singing and modeling in competitions from the age of three, going on to become a junior vocalist winner on the popular TV talent show, Star Search, back in 1987 when she was only 11 years old.
After winning the show – which Beyonce, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake starred on in their youth – Tracie signed a recording contract with Capitol Record – becoming the youngest artist to sign with the renowned label.
You May Also Like
Tender Kisses would reach number 1 on the Hot R&B and Hip-Hop charts in 1991, making her the youngest female artist at the time to receive the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award in 1992.
Additional singles from the album, Love Me and This Time Make It Funky, both charted on the top-100 and Hot R&B charts.
In 1993, after the success of a sophomore effort, the Save Your Love singer had initially planned on releasing a third album, titled Naturelle,” which was ultimately shelved by Capitol Records.
Where Has She Been since 1999?
“I had gotten to a point where I was very frustrated, and I wasn’t having any fun within the music industry anymore.,” confesses Tracie. “It became so much of a business. Between the label and people, I was dealing with, they started to take the fun out of it. That’s tough for people who must wear two hats. There’s the business side and the entertainment side, I prefer the entertainment and creative side, and just deal with the business when I need to, to get things done. I am a person who likes to be creative. People can strip that away from you over time and I was exhausted. I slowly pulled myself out of it.”
“…I used to have a lot of family support when I was younger. Then when I was getting older, I had turned 21 and my family wasn’t traveling with me. My dad was having some health issues, so he couldn’t go on the road. And my siblings were all doing things in their own lives. So that was a big transition for me.”
“I just wasn’t having fun anymore. My parents always told me when I got signed to Capital, ‘When you stop having fun, it’s time to stop. For your mental health, just come home.'”
“People called asking to use my vocals, and I’d agree, but that was kind of as far as I wanted to go. “I would get pulled in every now and then, working with Kanye [Ye], Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Eve.” Then I would pull myself right back out of it and try to find some kind of peace for myself and enjoy life, be around my family. I had other interests. In the beginning it was tough. It’s like breaking up with someone that you really loved, but in the end, I think it was the best decision I ever made.”
“Then you also had a lot of ‘interesting people’ who want to take advantage of you in the industry as a female…and it got very uncomfortable, to be honest.”
“If I would’ve stayed in it, I don’t know what the outcome would have been. At some point you gotta do what’s best for you and hope it works out in the end. You never know if you will be welcomed back with open arms. The worst part about leaving the industry for me was, I had built some really good relationships. There aren’t many that you value in this industry, that was difficult. Now, I’m in contact with those people again and you realize, those were the real true friendships because those people didn’t change.”
“In the beginning, I didn’t wonder if people were looking for me. I wasn’t concerned about that. It wasn’t until later, family and friends would come to me telling me that they saw on social media people asking, “Where is Tracie Spencer? What is she doing? Why isn’t she doing music?” People felt like I completely disappeared, and I guess I did (laughing).”
Why Psychology? Her Healthcare Connection Runs Deep
Tracie took care of both her parents’ health in the last years of their lives.
Tracie’s mom, Theresa Spencer who passed away in 2021 from lung cancer, had worked 50 years in a medical profession, including 45 years at Allen Memorial Hospital. She ended up retiring in 2012. Her first job was at an Obstetrics & Gynecology clinic in Beaumont, Texas. She always worked in healthcare after moving to Iowa. She found her dream job at Allen Memorial Hospital, working several positions, her favorite being in the Emergency Room.
The “Tender Kisses” hit singer also lost her father to leukemia, just seven years prior to losing her mother.
In a 2023 interview, Tracie said: “I lost my father several years ago, I’d been taking care of him. Those experiences put me in an interesting space.”
What She Thinks of People Re-Discovering Her Now
When asked last year on the daytime show Sherri, with TV host and comedian Sherri Shepherd, about the song’s new found popularity 33 years after its release, the singer revealed she was highly surprised.
Tracie said: “I was at a restaurant recently and people recognized me from the Family Matters clip. I was surprised it [the song] is still so relevant.
“This is a whole new generation being introduced to my music and loving it like it came out last week. I’m honored by the response.”
“I think that’s what everybody wants as a recording artist and a song writer. For everyone to be able to enjoy your music. I don’t make it for one group of people. I make it for everyone to enjoy. It’s wild to sit and think, when I first came out, people weren’t going to YouTube to find videos. I have looked on YouTube to see how many people have viewed the videos and read some of the comments. Some of the comments are funny because I see, “I just discovered her, I saw something online.” It’s like I’m a new artist to a whole nother generation who just discovered me. It’s a beautiful thing.”
