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(who just passed away this year) Beau Tucker, didn't believe her when she said, "Daddy, I want to be a singer," at the innocent age of five. Instead he told her that she couldn't sing her way out of a paper sack. At this, Tanya stepped back and let loose upon her daddy a soulful voice, strong and deep. It seems that she proved daddy wrong, for Beau and Juanita Tucker decided they should all make a move to get their daughter Tanya a contract.

They moved from town to town until Ms. Tanya Denise finally eked a record deal out of Billy Sherrill in 1972, in Nashville. She was thirteen. 'Delta Dawn', a harrowing tale of love gone wrong for a poor (it is rumored that Delta was a little slow, and got taken advantage of) gal, was released that year, and Miss Tucker hasn't looked back since. She was the first Country Female singer to grace the cover of 'Rolling Stone' magazine, at age fifteen. The cover article: "Hi, I'm Tanya Tucker. I'm fifteen and you're gonna hear from me". And I bet ya did!

She has over thirty albums, and is currently working on one now, as we speak (that is if her Cali house doesn't go up in flames), entitled Lonesome Town. If I were to garner a guess, I would say that she is planning her third (or fifth, or sixth) comeback. Her reality show, Tuckerville' is currently on hiatus, though some of us are counting the hours until it is back on the air. She also penned a biography in 1997, called 'Nickel Dreams'.

Some of the things that makes Tanya great? Well, besides her throaty voice, her entertainment abilities (uh, on and off of the stage), her sultry, lustful vocal skills, not to mention her very good looks (with her blonde locks and her curvy little figure, she's only like five feet two and a half!). She's has been a trend setter, a problem child, and a wild woman, plus she is super fun. But, she is also one of the most down to earth people that there are. The way that she has raised her three, beautiful children (Presley, Beau Grayson, and little Layla), is admirable. Tanya has certainly been through hard times, she has been in bad relationships, and been in and out of the tabloid's since she was a teenager. She has also had her ups, though, she won the CMA Female vocalist of the year in 1991 (Finally!), which she won on the night she delivered her second child, Beau Grayson. She has been likened to Elvis in her singing style, which is not something that many artists can boast, let alone female ones.

In 2002, she marked her thirtieth year in the music business, not something that many stars can claim (at least not ones that are still alive). She's not made of the same cookie cutter material as the rest of the gals that might make such a list as this, she is so unique, and that is part of what makes her great.

I'll never love another the way I love her. She has been the paradigm of my entire life, my best friend, and the most stable thing I have ever known. I have met her, seen her in concert countless times, and will continue to do so for many years to come. When I was younger her pictures didn't just adorn my bedroom walls (not to mention the walls of my heart) they covered every perimeter. My Ipod, is affectionately referred to as 'Tanya Tucker in a box' (no, seriously). I am her ultimate fan. I even got to meet her backstage after one of her shows, and recieved her autograph.

Love her or hate her, Tanya Tucker is one of the most memorable, if not recognizable singers of her entire generation. Everyone in America either knows of her or has heard her music, or both. And I ,for one, am extremely proud to be one of her greatest fans.

Learn more about this author, Shawna Blake.
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