Nelson, Tracy (1944–)

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Nelson, Tracy (1944–)

American musician. Born Dec 27, 1944, in Madison, WI; attended University of Wisconsin.

Began to play piano at 5 and guitar at 13; sang in church choir; while at university, formed 1st band, Fabulous Imitations; recorded 1st solo LP, Deep Are the Roots (1965); moved to San Francisco and formed new band, Mother Earth (1966, later called Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth); with band, released critically acclaimed debut album, Living With the Animals (1968); with group, moved near Nashville, TN, and music began to reflect country influence (1969); other albums include Satisfied (1970), A Poor Man's Paradise (1973), Homemade Songs (1978), I Feel So Good (1995), and Ebony and Irony (2001); released solo album, Tracy Nelson (1974), which included Grammy-nominated "After the Fire Is Gone," and In the Here and Now (1993).