Tanya Tucker as smooth as ever at Chukchansi

Kristine Escoto kescoto@sierrastar.us

Fred Van Hook
Tanya Tucker during her performance at Chukchansi.

    Country music star Tanya Tucker performed a sold-out show at the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino Friday, Dec. 3.
     The talented, raspy-voiced singer is a fantastic entertainer who gave her fans what they wanted.
     Tucker entered the stage chatting with the audience for a moment and began to swivel her hips to the bluesy groove of her 1991 hit, “Some Kind of Trouble.” It’s Tucker’s rich, rough n’ tumble, whisky-soaked voice that has sold millions of albums and earned her a strong fan base for more than 35 years. She and her band performed like a well-oiled machine.
     At 13, Tucker scored her first single on Billboard Magazine’s country chart with her 1972 hit, “Delta Dawn.” Her father, Beau Tucker, took her to Nashville when she was just 9.
     “My daddy walked me into the record producer’s office and I sang Patsy Cline’s, ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man,’ and the producer looked at me in my 9-year-old face and told me to come back when I knew what I was talking about.”
     Tucker has built one of the longest careers in country music through a diligent determination and undeniable talent. Her success began just as she was entering her teen years and continued into adulthood. Tucker is among the all-time best-selling female vocalists in country music.
     Tucker was the second country singer to have a number one single as a teenager with her 1973 hit, “What’s Your Mama’s Name.”
     In 1976, at age 15, Tucker had her first greatest hits collection, a Grammy nomination and was the first country artist to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.
     Tucker’s immense fan base was obvious at the concert; an audience member gave her a small Christmas gift and another fan gave Tucker his cowboy hat.
     Announcing her parents had been married for 63 years, she dedicated her 1992 hit, “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane,” to the devoted duo.
     She chatted with the crowd between songs like an old friend who breezes through town every now and then, yet never really drifts away.
     During the evening Tucker noticed her zipper on her jeans had broken.
     She didn’t panic or throw a diva fit, she asked for a safety pin and continued to perform, laughing about the “wardrobe malfunction” throughout the show. Tucker performed 13 hits during the performance that included her 1975 hit, “San Antonio Stroll,” 1987 hit, “Love Me Like You Used To,” and her 1992 hit, “Little Too Late.”
     Fans were treated to a Christmas set of nine songs. The Christmas set was traditional holiday music.
     The last song of the evening, “Merry Christmas,” was written by her fiancé, award winning songwriter, Jerry Laseter. Tucker said Christmas music reminded her how important family is.
     A seasoned celebrity, Tucker knows her career has been built on a foundation of fans. She stayed after the concert for nearly 30 minutes to sign autographs and take pictures.
     It is obvious why Tucker’s fans have stuck with her for 35 years. She is a consummate professional.