From Struggles to Grammys, Local Country Singer Tracy Inman Tells His Story in His Songs

ALTON - Tracy Inman has finally found his voice.

The country singer-songwriter has written lyrics his entire life, but it wasn’t until three years ago that he started to record his music. Now, one of his songs was considered for a Grammy, he’s playing at venues across the region, and he can’t wait to see what’s next for the music he loves to make.

“That’s very, very awesome to know that people are listening to it. That’s huge. You can’t ask for anything more than that,” Inman said. “Success depends on how you judge it. I judge success based on people listening. I don’t judge it monetarily. I’m not naive enough to think I’m going to be opening for major acts and stuff like that. But I do believe that my songs are good enough that someone will record them. What makes me happiest is that people listen to them.”

Inman released his first album, “It’s About Time,” on all streaming platforms and TouchTunes. A few of his songs, including “I’m Drunk Again,” “On Facebook,” and “TTYL,” have received radio play across the country and in Canada.

But the path to releasing music wasn’t linear. Inman started writing songs as a teenager and had written over 100 by the time he got married and had children. Life took over, and about 20 years passed before he picked up his pen again to write “Daddy’s Girl” for his two daughters.

He soon connected with a songwriter over social media, and they began writing together. In 2022, Inman traveled to Nashville to complete “a bucket list item” and record his own music. The album “It’s About Time” was released in 2023, its title a reference to the years he took to create it.

Since then, Inman’s passion for music has reignited. He pulls inspiration from his own life and beyond to write his songs. Not every piece is autobiographical, but they all tell the truth.

“It tells a story,” Inman said. “The music I write, the lyrics I write tell stories. They’re not just rumblings.”

And people have responded. Inman shared that his song “Being With You” was submitted for Grammy consideration by music promotion firm BigNoiseNow.com. The song made it to the top 100 in the category of “Best Country Solo Performance.”

“It didn’t make the top five, obviously. That’s the big people. But it got through the top 100, so that’s something. I’m one of a few people that can say I actually had consideration for a Grammy,” Inman explained. “That was pretty cool, going through a couple different rounds and being told that I made it. That was great. That was a good feeling, definitely.”

Beyond writing, Inman has turned his focus to performing, with gigs almost every weekend alongside “a great band” made up of Lillie Allen, Chris Brady, Joe Moran, Matt Odom and Stu Sinks. Known as The Tracy Inman Band, the group has plans to play at venues across the region through the end of the year, including Bakers and Hale, Copper Fire, Grafton Pub and Fast Eddie’s.

Inman said their goal is to eventually play original shows. He has been delighted to find that people are enjoying the originals they do play, with several folks dancing, lip-syncing or buying merchandise to support the band.

“My whole thing is to just keep playing with the guys, having fun and enjoying it, and to continue writing,” he added. “That’s my whole goal, and to continue the success of having people listen to it.”

Though Inman has experienced “quite a few struggles” throughout his life and his path to creating music, he is proud of the work he’s done and excited to see where it goes next. He has powerful advice for other singer/songwriters and creatives, and he hopes — just like his music — that his words resonate.

“Anybody can do this,” he said. “I’ve had quite a few struggles that I’ve had to overcome, and in doing so, I realized, number one, I should have done this a long time ago. And number two, I want to pass this on to other generations. You can do it no matter what age. You just get something into your head and you think about it and you tell the story. That’s what it boils down to. You tell a story and you hope other people listen.”

You can check out “It’s About Time” on all streaming platforms. Follow Inman’s work at his official website at TracyInmanMusic.com, or keep up with The Tracy Inman Band at their official Facebook page.

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