Country Music Month: The Texas Connection - TNT

TNT

The town of  Seminole, Texas is the birthplace of two of the biggest Country Music stars of the '70s and '80s - Larry Gatlin and one of my all time favorites, Tanya Denise Tucker. Tanya Tucker (TNT) exploded onto the Country Music scene in 1972 at the age of thirteen with a song that remains a Country Classic today, Delta Dawn. Her way beyond her years vocals and style belied the fact that she was still barely a teenager. Over the years Tanya churned out hit after hit after hit on the Country Charts and as she grew up cultivated a sex kitten image that garnered a lot of notice from Country Music fans. In the vernacular, she was hot! That sexy, party girl persona was more than just an act, Tanya was, shall we say, an "independent" young lady, a lady Outlaw. Songs like Texas When I Die did nothing to disprove her images. Some of her songs did, however, show a softer side to this rowdy girl. Songs like Two Sparrows in a Hurricane (my favorite TNT song) were tender ballads of love, dedication and perseverance that tell a story of young love growing into a lifetime of commitment and devotion between a man and woman. Tanya could be rowdy and raunchy one minute, then tender and retrospective the next.

Here's a short list of Tanya's hits that I think are her best songs, in no particular order:

• Love Me Like You Used To - A damn good song of a love that's lost its spark and Tanya's plea to her lover to rekindle the romance.
• Lizzie and the Rainman - I really like this song because it reminds me of Neil Diamond's Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show. Good story in the song.
• What's Your Mama's Name? - Pretty heavy subject in the song. Just remember she was only 15 when she sang it.

Looking back, it's very difficult to believe that it's been almost forty years since that little thirteen year old girl sang about Delta Dawn. Wikipedia has a pretty good bio on Tanya if you want to delve into the details. If you'd rather take a trip back in time to catch some of Tanya's hits, YouTube has a great channel with some of TNT's best songs.

Tanya Denise Tucker, Lady Outlaw. And a damned fine performer.