Nineties R&B star, 47, has barely aged a day since chart hits, modelling career and ‘lost’ third album
A NINETIES R&B star appears to be ageing backwards over three decades since her smash hit song.
American singer-songwriter Tracie Spencer was catapuled to fame as a teenager thanks to her 1991 hit Tender Kisses.
Nowadays the ageless star posts snaps and videos on Instagram to her army of fans.
Beneath a recent birthday post one fan echoed raved: “47, where!? Forever beautiful and gorgeous.”
The Iowa-native began singing and modelling in competitions from the age of three, going on to become a junior vocalist winner on 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.
She released her debut self-titled album in January 1988, which produced US R&B and Hip-Hop chart toppers in the form of debut single Hide and Seek, followed by Symptoms of True Love and a remake of John Lennon‘s Imagine.
Tracie released her second album, Make the Difference, a few years later in August 1990.
The album’s first single, Save Your Love, would reach number 7 on the US R&B charts, with the next single, This House, reaching an even higher chart position, number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In May 1991, This House would peak at number 65 in the Official UK Singles Chart.
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.
THIRD AND FINAL ALBUM
In 1993, after the success of a sophomore effort, the Save Your Love singer had initially planned on releasing a third album, titled Naturelle.
However, Naturelle would be indefinitely shelved by Capitol records.
Her third album, Tracie, was eventually released six years later.
It spawned the singles Still in My Heart and It’s All About You (Not About Me).
As well as music, the stunning star modelled for fashion brands including Chanel and Tommy Hilfiger and was signed to NEXT modelling agency, appearing on numerous magazine covers.
UNEXPECTED VIRAL HIT
In November 1993, during the height of her 90s fame, Tracie would guest appear on popular 90s sitcom Family Matters, singing Tender Kisses as a duet with one of the shows actors, Darius McCrary, 48, in a now viral moment.
The TV duet that first graced our screens 31 years ago has found a completely new audience in recent years, with a video clip from the scene garnering over 1.2 million views on TikTok alone and countless song covers across social media.
When asked last year on US daytime show Sherri, hosted by Chicago-born TV host and comedian Sherri Shepherd, 57, 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 recognised 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 honoured by the response.”
RETURN TO MUSIC
Tracie told TV host Sherri that she decided to take a long music hiatus in the noughties due to falling out of love with the music industry and the loss of her parents.
Tracie said: “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.”
Tracie also spoke of fellow 90s teen sensation Shanice, 51, best known for her global hit I Love Your Smile, helping her return to music.
In 2018, Shanice posted a Christmas throwback pic of herself and Tracie on social media, asking her Instagram followers, ‘Where is Tracie? Can someone help me find her?’
Shortly after the post, a mutual friend arranged for the former besties to meet-up, and they have been inseparable ever since, even posting a video on Instagram together last year after almost two decades of not speaking.
Tracie told TV presenter Sherri that her friendship with Shanice encouraged her to step back into the spotlight after experiencing the loss of her parents.
The former model lost her father to leukaemia, and her mother to lung cancer back in 2021.
Tracie said: “I lost my father several years ago, I’d been taking care of him. Those experiences put me in an interesting space. I just wanted to reconnect with people that meant a lot to me, like Shanice.”
She continued: “People who you are genuinely connected to, you’ll always draw back to them. I really needed to be in her life again.”
CURRENT PLANS
Tracie teased new music and a potential collaboration with Shanice as a guest last year on the hit daytime show.
She also revealed that during her hiatus, she earned a degree in Psychology. Traci said: “I developed other interests. I got a degree in Psychology and now I’m in medical school.”
Last October, the R&B crooner performed Tender Kisses with an orchestra, in Washington D.C.’s prestigious Kennedy Center last year for D-Nice’s Club Quarantine event.
