The Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center brings a singer who has been belting it out since she was 13-years-old to the stage Saturday.
With her “Delta Dawn” debut, Tanya Tucker earned the Top New Female Vocalist award by the Academy of Country Music in 1972.
Tucker has inspired many female artists who still top the charts today. Parade magazine wrote: “She’s a music icon who’s still got the sass and spontaneity she had when “Delta Dawn” ascended to the top of the charts in the 70s.”
The Saturday performance will also include guest Johnny Bush.
Tucker was discovered when producer Billy Sherrill received a demo tape of Tucker and he quickly signed her to a record deal at Columbia Records, her website, tanyatucker.com details.
“Delta Dawn” earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance” and launched Tucker into the national spotlight during the beginning of her teenage years.
Her first No. 1 single came in 1973 with “What’s Your Mama’s Name.”
Tucker achieved an unusual feat for a female country artist at the time with a 1974 Rolling Stone cover story with the headline, “Hi, I’m Tanya Tucker, I’m 15, You’re Gonna Hear From Me.” As additional hits continued, Tucker added an edgy rock image, which she still embraces.
Through a collaborative relationship with Glen Campbell, Tucker transitioned to a new label in the early 1980s and was back in the Top 10 with “Can I See You Tonight,” co-written by hit maker Deborah Allen (Patty Loveless). Just a few years later, Tucker experienced another hit with “One Love at a Time,” co-written by Paul Overstreet (Randy Travis, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton). With four additional No. 1 charted hits between 1986-1988, Tucker’s career, nearly two decades already underway, was proving to be one for the record books.
During the 1990s, “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane” and “It’s a Little Too Late” found success. She also released new albums, along with multiple versions of greatest hits and live compilation projects, to become one of the best-selling female artists in country music. During the 1994 Super Bowl XXVIII she performed during halftime.
She is currently touring across the United States including Saturday’s Midland show.
