Tracy Rice

I'm an acoustic singer/songwriter from Ontario.

Tracy grew up in a very musical and culturally-eclectic family, the Canadian daughter of a Barbadian mother and a Scottish father. In her childhood home in Ontario, passing a guitar around the living room and sharing songs was as natural as breathing. In fact, she included a clip of her grandparents performing on her latest EP, Truth.

She started singing and playing the guitar, keyboards, and drums in bands at the age of 15, which led her to songwriting. Although audiences often see her as a rocker, reviewers note her ability to walk the line between rock and New Country genres, evoking characterizations of the love child of Melissa Etheridge and Terri Clark.

She began her solo career in London, Ontario, Canada with the recording of her first independent album in 1996. Her reputation as a great songwriter with a powerful voice gained her opportunities for interviews and performances on local radio and television. Her second CD, 'Out of the Light', was funded by the Canadian government-supported Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent On Recording (FACTOR).

In 2002 she opened for Country Music's (and fellow Canadian) Terri Clark. Ironically, a year later her original song won the writing category titled 'Perfect for Terri Clark' in the Nashville Song Search. Tracy was the only non-American to win in this international competition. Subsequently, she began making regular networking trips to Nashville.

In early 2006 Tracy released a 5 song EP, 'Truth'. Her goal was for an earthier sound, and a completely different approach from her previous rock efforts. "I wanted to get a little more organic with instrumentation, and match it with my vocal style". The album definitely shows traces of Nashville production, in more than the addition of a mandolin track. Australian fingerstyle guitar virtuouso Tommy Emmanuel, C.G.P., contributed acoustic parts on 4 tracks and the song 'Runaway Bay' was co-written with renowned Nashville songwriter Mary ann Kennedy.

Tracy toured with Tommy Emmanuel in the Spring of this year. She is currently on tour promoting 'Truth' and making plans to record a live album in the Spring of 2007.

Yes, I play live. In bars and clubs of course, but I like festivals and have opened for some amazing people. Opening for Tommy Emmanuel in Toronto in a packed hall which included my whole family was very special.

Fleetwood Mac, Heart (70's), The Eagles, Elton John, Melissa Etheridge, Joni Mitchell, and Aimee Mann.