Tanya Tucker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tanya Tucker
Tucker performing at Graceland in 2020.
Background information
Birth name	Tanya Denise Tucker
Born	(1958-10-10) October 10, 1958 (age 66) Seminole, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Country outlaw country country rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1971–present
Labels	Columbia MCA Arista Capitol Nashville Liberty Capitol Tuckertime Saguaro Road Fantasy

Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She became famous at just 13 years old with her first hit song, "Delta Dawn", in 1972. Tanya Tucker is special because she started as a child star and continued to be very popular as an adult.

Throughout her career, she has had many successful albums and hit songs. Some of her well-known songs include "What's Your Mama's Name?" (1973) and "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane" (1992). In 2019, her album While I'm Livin' won a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. The song "Bring My Flowers Now" from that album also won a Grammy for Best Country Song.

Tanya Tucker's newest album, Sweet Western Sound, came out in 2023. She worked on it with Brandi Carlile. On October 22, 2023, Tanya Tucker was welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Tanya Tucker's Early Life and Music Start

Tanya Tucker was born in Seminole, Texas, in the United States. She was the youngest of four children. Her father worked with heavy equipment, so her family moved around a lot. They often moved to find better jobs.

Tanya spent much of her early childhood in Willcox, Arizona. The only radio station there played country music, which she loved. Her family often went to concerts of country stars like Ernest Tubb. When Tanya was eight, she told her father she wanted to be a country singer.

First Steps in Entertainment

When her family moved to St. George, Utah, Tanya's mother took her to try out for the movie Jeremiah Johnson. Tanya got a small role in the movie. Around this time, she also got her first big music chance. Her father drove the family to the Arizona State Fair in Phoenix. He hoped that country singer Judy Lynn might let Tanya perform.

Tanya sang for the fair's managers and was hired to sing at the fair. She also made her debut with country star Mel Tillis. He was so impressed that he invited her to sing on stage.

Moving to Nashville and Getting Signed

In 1969, Tanya's family moved to Henderson, Nevada. Tanya performed there regularly. She eventually made a demo tape, which is a recording to show off her singing. This tape caught the attention of songwriter Dolores Fuller. Fuller sent the tape to producer Billy Sherrill at Columbia Records.

Sherrill was very impressed with Tanya's singing. He signed the teenage singer to Columbia Records. This was a big step for her career.

Tanya Tucker's Music Career Highlights

Tucker in a 1973 promotional portrait for Columbia Records.

Becoming a Teen Country Star (1972–1979)

Billy Sherrill wanted Tanya to record "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA". But Tanya chose "Delta Dawn" as her first single. She had heard Bette Midler sing it on The Tonight Show. "Delta Dawn" was released in May 1972. It quickly became a hit, reaching number six on the country music charts.

At first, Columbia Records tried to hide Tanya's young age. But when people found out she was only 13, she became a huge sensation! A year later, Australian singer Helen Reddy had a number-one pop hit with her own version of "Delta Dawn".

Tanya's second song, "Love's the Answer", also became a top-10 hit in 1972. Her third song, "What's Your Mama's Name", was her first number-one hit in 1973. Two more number-one songs followed: "Blood Red and Goin' Down" and "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)". These hits made Tanya a major country music star.

In 1975, she signed with MCA Records. She continued to have many hit songs through the late 1970s. One of these was "Lizzie and the Rainman", which became a number-one country hit. It also reached number 37 on the pop music charts. Tanya had several other top-10 country hits with MCA. These included "San Antonio Stroll" and "Here's Some Love".

In 1978, Tanya released her album TNT. She wanted to try a more rock-influenced sound. Two popular songs from this album were "I'm a Singer, You're the Song" and "Texas (When I Die)". "Texas (When I Die)" reached number five on the country charts.

Overcoming Challenges and Making a Comeback (1980s)

By the early 1980s, Tanya's music sales were not as high. In 1980, she had two hits, including "Can I See You Tonight?". She also recorded songs with Glen Campbell, a singer she was dating. Tanya also appeared in the movie Hard Country.

She moved to Los Angeles in 1978 to try to reach pop audiences. She found the city's nightlife exciting. In 1983, her song "Feel Right" was a top 10 hit. However, her other songs were not getting as much radio play.

In 1986, Tanya signed with Capitol Records. Her career got a big boost with the album Girls Like Me. This album had four top-10 country songs. In 1988, she had three number-one country hits: "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love", "If It Don't Come Easy", and "Strong Enough to Bend".

Her music became more country-pop and upbeat. This style made Tanya popular again. Between 1988 and 1989, she had eight country top-10 hits in a row. Her albums also sold very well, earning "Gold" awards for selling 500,000 copies.

Continued Success (1990s)

In 1991, the Country Music Association named Tanya Tucker "Female Vocalist of the Year". She had eight top-10 singles in the early 1990s. These included "Down to My Last Teardrop" and "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane". In 1990, CMT named her "Female Video Artist of the Year".

Tanya was one of the most successful female country artists of her time. She showed that a teen star could continue to have a successful career as an adult. By the 1990s, Tanya had been in country music for 20 years. In 1994, "Hangin' In" was her last top-five hit for a while. That year, she performed at the half-time show at Super Bowl XXVIII.

In 1997, she had another top-10 hit with "Little Things". That same year, she was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

Music Career Today (2000–Present)

Tucker performing at the Ryman Auditorium in 2020.

In 2002, Tanya Tucker started her own record label, Tuckertime Records. This allowed her to have more control over her music. She released her album Tanya that year. In 2002, CMT ranked her number 20 on their list of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.

In 2009, Tanya released My Turn, an album of classic country cover songs. It reached number 27 on the Billboard country charts. She also sang a duet with Terri Clark on a remake of "Delta Dawn" in 2012.

In June 2017, Rolling Stone magazine included Tanya Tucker in their list of the 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.

After a long break from releasing new music, Tanya released While I'm Livin' in 2019. This was her first album of new original songs since 2002. It was produced by Shooter Jennings and Brandi Carlile. Tanya performed "Bring My Flowers Now" from the album at Loretta Lynn's birthday concert.

On January 26, 2020, Tanya Tucker won her first two Grammy Awards for While I'm Livin' and "Bring My Flowers Now". In 2021, she worked with RuPaul on the song "This is Our Country".

Tanya announced her newest studio album, Sweet Western Sound, on April 5, 2023. It was released on June 2, 2023.

Tanya Tucker's "Outlaw" Image

Tanya Tucker is known as one of the few female country singers to be part of the "Outlaw" country movement. This style was popular in the late 1970s. Outlaw artists like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson blended country and rock music.

As Tanya grew up, her Outlaw image became stronger. You could hear this style in her songs like "Texas (When I Die)". Tanya also had a very independent spirit, which was another Outlaw quality. She was the only woman on CMT's list of "Greatest Outlaws: The Dirty Dozen".

Tanya continues to be recognized as an Outlaw artist today. She often attends Outlaw events. Gretchen Wilson even mentioned Tanya in her 2004 hit song "Redneck Woman". Tanya also appeared briefly in the music video for that song.

The Return of Tanya Tucker Documentary

Years after Tanya Tucker was less in the spotlight, musician Brandi Carlile worked with her on the album While I'm Livin'. They also made a documentary about Tanya's life.

The documentary, called The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile, was released in October and November 2022. It tells the story of Tanya's life and her return to music.

Other Works by Tanya Tucker

Tanya Tucker has done more than just sing.

• She was a judge on the TV show Dance Fever in 1979.
• She wrote a book about her life called Nickel Dreams: My Life in 1997.
• She had her own reality show called Tuckerville on TLC in 2005. The show gave viewers a look into her home life with her family.
• Tanya often performs for the military and does benefit concerts.
• In 2019, she started her own tequila brand called Cosa Salvaje.

Tanya Tucker's Family Life

Tanya Tucker has had relationships with other famous people, including Glen Campbell and Merle Haggard.

She has three children:

• Daughter Presley Tanita, born in 1989, with actor Ben Reed.
• Son Beau "Grayson", born in 1991, also with Ben Reed.
• Daughter Layla LaCosta, born in 1999, with musician Jerry Laseter.

Tanya's sister, LaCosta, is also a country singer.

Awards and Nominations

Tanya Tucker's Music Albums

Studio albums

See also

In Spanish: Tanya Tucker para niños