Tracy Ackerman is a British singer and songwriter. She works with several other British songwriters including
Andy Watkins
Absolute are a British music production team responsible for a number of hits in the 1990s and the 2000s.
History
Formed in 1988 by University of Bristol friends Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins, Absolute initially existed under the name ‘Bristol Ba ...
and Paul Wilson of
Absolute Absolute may refer to:
Companies
* Absolute Entertainment, a video game publisher
* Absolute Radio, (formerly Virgin Radio), independent national radio station in the UK
* Absolute Software Corporation, specializes in security and data risk manage ...
and Mark Taylor. Ackerman has written for artists including
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
,
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
,
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
,
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
and
Will Young
William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 Pop Idol (series 1), inaugural series of the ITV (TV network), ITV talent contest ''Pop Idol'', making him the f ...
.
Early life and education
Ackerman attended
Gordano School
Gordano School () is a comprehensive school with academy status located in Portishead, North Somerset, England. In 1999, the school was awarded Specialist schools Technology College status. Gordano School has 2,100 pupils aged 11 to 18 as of M ...
.
Career
In the 1980s she was used as a vocalist by
record producer Nigel Wright on many of his megamix-styled medley projects. Originally projects like
Enigma
Enigma may refer to:
*Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling
Biology
*ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain
Computing and technology
* Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup
* Enigma machine, a family ...
and This Year's Blonde
were set up as rivals to the success of Jaap Eggermont's
Starsound/Stars on 45, though in the late 1980s Wright increasingly targeted the house scene with 'Jack Mix' act
Mirage
A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...
(with Mirage including a co-credit for Ackerman on their pre-house 1985 medley "Into the Groove"). Other 1980s work included touring with
Dead or Alive, singing lead on "Ice" from
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s.
Born and raised ...
's 1988 solo album ''Time Machine'', backing vocals on some of
Shakatak
Shakatak is an English jazz-funk band founded in 1980 by Nigel Wright and former Wigan Casino DJ Kev Roberts. Following an initial white label release 'Steppin', the band's name was derived from a record store in Soho, London Record Shack. I ...
's albums and performing backing vocals during Eric Clapton's 1988 immensely successful anniversary tour. On Clapton's tour she performed alongside
Tessa Niles
Tessa Margaret Niles ( ''née'' Webb; born 27 January 1961 in Ilford, Essex) is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of contemporary artists. She began her professional singing career in 1979.
Early life and ca ...
, a vocalist who she has sung backing vocals with on various albums by
Gary Numan
Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his d ...
.
She has recorded several of her own tracks and had a couple of hit singles in the 1990s when she was the featured credited vocalist on a number of dance cover versions. Her biggest hit as a featured vocalist was on a version of Minnie Riperton's "Loving You", which got to No. 25 in 1990 (credited to Massivo ft Tracy and released on Debut Records), whilst a cover of the
Brenda Russell
Brenda Russell (née Gordon; born April 8, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and keyboardist. Russell has a diverse musical range which encompasses R&B, pop, soul, dance, and jazz. She has received five Grammy nominations.
Li ...
's
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
, "
Get Here". was a No. 37 hit in 1993 (with an act called Q taking the main credit). She also toured with
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
in the 1990s and was a vocalist for
Almighty Records' Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a music genre, typified by fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the ...
ABBA covers project Abbacadabra, alongside other singers such as
Karen Boddington
Karen Boddington and Mark Williams formed the Australian vocal duet that sang the original theme tune for the TV soap ''Home and Away''. Mark Williams has performed with several other groups, while Karen Boddington was a vocalist for Almighty ...
, Belle Lawrence and Martin Jenkins.
Personal life
Ackerman lives in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
and is married to property developer Steve Bromwich.
Songs co-written by Ackerman
*
allSTARS*
Allstars (stylised allSTARS*) were a British pop group, who were active between 2001 and 2002, achieving some chart success in the UK. Consisting of Sam Bloom, Thaila Zucchi, Ashley Taylor Dawson, Rebecca Hunter and Sandi Lee Hughes (the ini ...
: "Tearing Up the World" (co-written with Ray Hedges and Nigel Butler) from the album ''allSTARS*'' (2002)
*
Andy Abraham
Andrew Abraham (born 17 July 1964) is a British singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show ''The X Factor'' in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.
Before ...
: "Hang Up" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''Impossible Dream'' (2006)
*
B*Witched
B*Witched are an Irish girl group consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll. Originally active between 1997 and 2002, they enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2002, r ...
: "C'est La Vie", "Rev It Up", "Rollercoaster", "Blame It On The Weatherman", "Freak Out" (all co-written with
Ray Hedges
Ray "Madman" Hedges is an English songwriter and record producer from Surrey, England who has had over 60 top 20 singles and albums including seven UK number-ones as producer and or writer with many on his own record labels.
Career
Hedges has b ...
and Martin Brannigan) from the CD ''
B*Witched
B*Witched are an Irish girl group consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll. Originally active between 1997 and 2002, they enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2002, r ...
'' (1999)
*
B*Witched
B*Witched are an Irish girl group consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll. Originally active between 1997 and 2002, they enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2002, r ...
: "Never Giving Up" (co-written with
Andy Hill) from the CD ''B*Witched'' (1999)
*
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
: "Will I Ever See You" (co-written with Absolute), B-side of "Every Day I Love You More" (1999)
*
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
: "Ain't Gonna Look The Other Way" or the changed title "I Choose life" from the CD ''A New Day.. Live in Las Vegas'' (2004)
*
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
: "Alive Again" (N Bracegirdle/R Hedges/T Ackerman) from ''Living Proof'' (2002)
*
Chicane
A chicane () is a serpentine curve in a road, added by design rather than dictated by geography. Chicanes add extra turns and are used both in motor racing and on roads and streets to slow traffic for safety. For example, one form of chicane is ...
: "Locking Down" (1997), "Daylight" (2008) and "Spirit" (2007)
*
Dana Dawson
Dana Dawson (August 7, 1974 – August 10, 2010) was an American actress and singer.
Early life and career
Dawson made her acting debut at the age of 7 in a national tour of '' Annie''. She was an understudy of the character Mimi, in the nation ...
: "Got To Give Me Love" (1996)
*
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane Minogue () is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She initially gained recognition for her appearances on the television show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on th ...
: "Get Into You" (1993)
*
Darius: "Resolution" from the CD ''Live Twice'' (2004)
*
Edyta Górniak
Edyta Anna Górniak (; born 14 November 1972) is a Polish pop singer with a career spanning 3 decades. Górniak started as a musical theatre actress in 1990. She performed in the most popular musical in Polish history, the Tony Award-nominated ...
: Impossible, Sit Down, Invisible, How Do You Know, The Story So Far, The Day Before The Rain, Cross My Heart and Make It Happen from the CD ''Invisible'' (2003)
* Erik: We Got The Love (1994)
*
Eternal
Eternal(s) or The Eternal may refer to:
* Eternity, an infinite amount of time, or a timeless state
* Immortality or eternal life
* God, the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith in monotheism
Comics, film and television
* ...
: "Sensual Man" from the CD ''Eternal'' (1999)
*
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
: "Walkaway" and "Someone's Watching Over Me" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''
Schizophonic'' (1999)
*
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
: "Feels Like Sex", "Circles Round The Moon" and "Lovey Dovey Stuff" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''
Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
''Scream If You Wanna Go Faster'' is the second studio album by British singer Geri Halliwell, released on 14 May 2001 by EMI Records. Following the commercial success of her solo debut album '' Schizophonic'' two years before, the singer began w ...
'' (2001)
*
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
: "Don't Get Any Better" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''
Passion'' (2005)
*
Gil Ofarim
Gil Doron Reichstadt Ofarim (born 13 August 1982) is a German singer, songwriter, and actor, also known as the lead singer of the bands Zoo Army and Acht.
Early life
Ofarim is the first child of Israeli musician Abi Ofarim (1937–2018), whose ...
: "Never Giving Up Now" (written with
Andy Hill) from 1998
* Girl Thing: "Girls On Top" and "Shhh" (co-written with Absolute) (2000)
*
Hear'Say
Hear'Say were a British pop group. They were created through the ITV (TV network), ITV reality TV show ''Popstars (British TV series), Popstars'' in February 2001, the first UK series of the international ''Popstars'' Media franchise, franchi ...
: "Straight From The Heart" (T Hawes/P Kirtley/T Ackerman) from the CD ''Everybody'' (2001)
*
Hear'Say
Hear'Say were a British pop group. They were created through the ITV (TV network), ITV reality TV show ''Popstars (British TV series), Popstars'' in February 2001, the first UK series of the international ''Popstars'' Media franchise, franchi ...
: "Carried Away" and "Sweet Alibi" (co-written with Ray Hedges) from the CD ''Popstars'' (2001)
* Jamie Scott: "When Will I See Your Face Again" and "Rise Up" from the CD ''Park Bench Theories'' (2007)
*
Judy Cheeks
Judy Cheeks (born February 13, 1954) is an American singer and actress. In the 1970s and 1980s, she recorded as a soul and R&B singer, before releasing more dance-oriented music in the 1990s. Cheeks performed with Ike & Tina Turner as an Ikette ...
: "This Time" (J Douglas/T Ackerman) and "Forgive and Forget" from the CD ''Respect'' (1996)
*
Keisha White
Keisha White (born 31 March 1988) is an English R&B singer. She has released two albums: '' Seventeen'' in 2005 and '' Out of My Hands'' in 2006. She is the voice behind ''"Someday"'', the theme to the CBBC television series ''The Story of Tracy ...
: "Ain't Gonna Look The Other Way" and "Don't Mistake Me"
*
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer, DJ and television presenter. She first saw success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award f ...
: Breakin' Away from the CD ''Now & Forever'' (1995)
*
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
: Love is Waiting from the CD ''Confide in Me: The Irresistible Kylie'' (2007)
* Lindy Layton: "We Got The Love" (McCutcheon / T Ackerman) (1993)
*
No Angels
No Angels are an all-female pop group from Germany, formed in 2000. Originally a quintet, consisting of band members Nadja Benaissa, Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, Vanessa Petruo, and Jessica Wahls, they originated on the debut season of th ...
: "Ain't Gonna Look The Other Way" from the CD ''Destiny Reloaded'' (2008)
* Q featuring Tracy Ackerman: "I Wish" (M Taylor / T Ackerman), B-side of "Get Here" (Single) (1993)
* Q featuring Tony Jackson: "Everlasting" (M Taylor / T Ackerman), B-side of "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" (1994)
*
Rozalla
Rozalla Miller (born 18 March 1964), better known as simply Rozalla, is a Zimbabwean electronic music performer who was born in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). At the age of 18, she moved with her parents to her father's country o ...
: "All That I Need" from the CD ''Look No Further'' (1995)
*
S Club 7
S Club 7 were a British pop group from London, created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller and consisting of members Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens and Tina Barrett. The group ...
: "Bring The House Down" and "Cross My Heart" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''7'' (2000)
*
S Club
S Club 7 were a British pop group from London, created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller and consisting of members Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens and Tina Barrett. The group ...
: "Gansta Love" and "In Too Deep" from the CD ''Seeing Double'' (2002)
*
S Club Juniors: "I Come Alive" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''Together'' (2002)
*
Sonia
Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to:
People
* Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya)
:* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films
:* Sonia ...
: "My Light" (M Taylor / T Ackerman / S Evans), B-side of "Boogie Nights" (1992)
*
Taylor Hicks
Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976) is an American singer who won the fifth season of ''American Idol'' in May 2006. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States fo ...
: "
Do I Make You Proud
"Do I Make You Proud" is a soul- pop song written for ''American Idol'' season five winner Taylor Hicks by Tracy Ackerman, Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson of the Absolute production team, and co-produced by Dave Way. The song was released as a s ...
" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''Taylor Hicks'' (2006)
*
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
: "All The Woman" (co-written with Absolute) from the CD ''
Twenty Four Seven'' (1999)
*
Will Young
William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 Pop Idol (series 1), inaugural series of the ITV (TV network), ITV talent contest ''Pop Idol'', making him the f ...
: "If That's What You Want" (co-written with Absolute), B-side of "Don't Let Me Down" (2002)
This Year's Blonde
The first medley by This Year's Blonde to hit the charts was "Platinum Pop", which reached No. 46 in 1981. This track was a medley of songs made famous by
Blondie and included "Hanging on the Telephone", "Denis", "Dreaming", "Union City Blues", "(I'm Always Touched) By Your Presence Dear", "Sunday Girl" and "Dreaming". Their second record was a medley of songs by Madonna with "Who's That Girl", "La Isla Bonita", "Open Your Heart", "Lucky Star", "Holiday", "Into the Groove" and "Papa Don't Preach" being covered. Titled "Who's That Mix", the record released by Debut Records charted at No. 62 in 1987.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Tracy
British women singers
British women songwriters
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)