Never try to limit Tracy Hamlin. As she puts it, “In the music business, you must be a Jack of All Trades. When record companies tried to put me in a box, they couldn’t. They asked, ‘What is she trying to be?’ I’m a singer! I deliver what the song calls for. I can sing country, jazz, R&B, Pop – you can’t put me in a box. So, I started my own record label, DMH Records.”
It was a move characteristic of this petite but mighty Renaissance woman who strikes us as humble yet confident, driven yet circumspect, accomplished yet always reaching for more. Tracy is known by most of her fans in Loudoun County as a singer with a soaring voice and indefatigable energy. But she is so much more: a songwriter, teacher, producer, concert promoter, talk show host, and most recently, restauranteur.
Tracy has toured with and supported Gloria Gaynor, two-time Grammy winner and “I Will Survive” composer and performer, as a backup vocalist, vocal arranger and tour manager. She is currently traveling the world singing and playing keyboards for another Oscar and Grammy winner, the great Peabo Bryson, whose tour took them to the Hollywood Bowl and Tokyo last Summer. And, speaking of the Grammys, Tracy has served as Vice President of the Washington DC’s Recording Academy Chapter, and as a National Trustee on five National Grammy Committees. (Trustees usually serve on one, sometimes two, committees, making her involvement in five committees noteworthy.)
Six albums have been released by Tracy on her DMH Record label, named for her late mother, Dorothy Marie Hamlin. Her first album, “Seasons,” was released in 2005, right after web-based music sales pioneer CD Baby (https://cdbaby.com/) was hitting its stride worldwide. Unbeknownst to Tracy, “Seasons” had become a hit through CD Baby on the United Kingdom’s Soul Charts. It wasn’t until the release of her 2009 album “Better Days” that Tracy discovered she had an entire fan base in the UK, complete with a fan chat room, fan forums and her own Tracy Hamlin Fan Club. “One day I Googled myself and a few Tracy Hamlin forums popped up, so I thought ‘Oh wow, there is another artist named Tracy Hamlin!’ Then I started reading the comments and realized it was me!”
Shortly thereafter, “Better Days” reached Number One on the UK Soul Charts and the performance offers started rolling in. Since the British wanted to meet their favorite Soul artist in person, a UK Tour was organized, and Tracy’s music has been charting on Britain’s Soul Charts ever since. Her other album releases include “This is My Life” and “Home,” (both in 2013), and “No Limits,” (2015), "Christmas With You" (2022) and more than 60 dance singles.
Several times throughout her career, the proud Baltimore native has been thrust into important jobs by chance, usually without any education or experience in the job. “I just figured things out as I went along and kept a positive attitude,” she explains.
While covering office positions for a temp agency early in her career, she was given a clerical assignment at the Jemicy School in Owings Mills, Maryland, a private school specializing in educating students with dyslexia. Three days into the assignment, she was offered a permanent position and terms were reached. Once senior staff learned about Tracy’s musical background, she was coaxed into developing a music therapy program for the students. As she was unable to find any other such program to emulate, she decided to create her own. Without a formal education, experience, or teaching certificate in the discipline, and very little in the way of resources, she felt like a true pioneer. Over the next 10 years, Tracy went on to develop a ground-breaking and wildly successful music therapy curriculum for all Jemicy students. The program was so effective that it was studied, analyzed and duplicated by area universities, and became a widely used, baseline format for dyslexic music therapy courses.
Her intriguing and varied working life also included a Regional Promotion Manager position with Def Jam Recordings, working directly with founder Russell Simmons, and artists LL Cool J and Public Enemy. It was through this position that she made many important music industry contacts that would help sustain and advance her music career.
At one point, Tracy was hired by a wealthy client to produce his birthday party in his native St. Lucia. Again, she rose to the occasion using her organizational skills and considerable Rolodex of industry contacts. This party transitioned into a major annual private jazz party and gave Tracy yet another title: Concert Promoter.
When she’s not globetrotting with Peabo Bryson, she organizes her own tours to showcase her music catalog and promotes her own jazz concert series partnering with musicians like Prince alumni and Grammy-nominated saxophonist Marcus Johnson, Jay Z and Michael Jackson alumni trombonist Jeff Bradshaw, and Loudoun County’s own jazz aficionado, pianist, composer and educator, Quentin Walston.
These artists, along with several other renowned jazz masters, will join Tracy for her Sweet Jazz Festival 2024 (https://sweetjazzfestival.com/), on April 19th and 20th at the National Conference Center in Leesburg. (Hurry to grab tickets, as the concerts will be held inside and they’re expected to go quickly.) In just its second year, the festival has expanded to two nights. Sponsorships were still available at this writing; see more at https://sweetjazzfestival.com/sponsors, or email info@sweetjazzfestival.com. A portion of the proceeds will fund three music scholarships and several grants to area non-profits that also will be awarded at the event. “I love helping people through music,” says Tracy.
In 2006, Tracy married Nathaniel E. (Nat) Landry, Jr., PhD, an expert in Information Management Systems and author, in addition to being Tracy’s biggest fan. Together, they recently opened BayouNOLA, a Cajun restaurant located in the Garage on King in Martinsburg, West Virginia. “Nat’s gumbo has become so popular in Martinsburg that we can’t come close to keeping up with demand,” exclaims Tracy.
No portrait of Tracy Hamlin would be complete without mentioning her spiritual side. “Unlike many Jazz and R&B singers, I did not grow up singing Gospel music in a church,” she says. “My father was Baptist and my mother was a Jehovah’s Witness, so there was a very versatile approach to religion in our household.” Through her lyrics, she inspires her listeners with positive messages as she weaves in important life lessons without preaching or being judgmental.
“I am a daily praying girl, but I would describe myself more accurately as spiritual. My music is lined with positive, practical life messages that are applicable to everyone’s life, regardless of your religion. I like to think I come in from the ‘flank’ and leave my listeners with inspiring messages that can help improve their lives spiritually and energizes them to always be reaching out for their dreams.”
And that’s music to our ears.
"I can sing country, jazz, R&B, Pop – you can’t put me in a box."
Tracy inspires listeners "To always be reaching out for their dreams.”
