Edmonton Concert
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Dressed in a rhinestone-studded black suit emulating the star she is, Tanya Tucker's late appearance last night at Rexall Place was worth the wait. Even though 46-year-old Tucker looks a little older than she is, she came out swinging and swiveling her hips to the bluesy groove of Some Kind of Trouble. Her rockin' moves were just icing on the cake as soon as she belted out the first few notes. It's Tucker's rich, rough 'n' tumble, whisky-soaked voice that has sold millions of albums and earned her an incredibly devoted fan base over the last 35 years.
"There's someone very close to me out in the crowd tonight," Tucker said. Chances are it was her teenage daughter Presley, because Tucker asked all the audience to help her pass on a little advice about choosing the right man before singing Don't Go Out With Him.
A seasoned celebrity, Tucker knows her career has long been built on a foundation of fans. She chatted with the crowd between songs like an old friend who breezes through town every now and then, yet never really drifts away. Her repertoire was all over the place, mixing easy love songs with more rocked-up honky-tonk, an infamous point which has only helped her fame.
About 15 minutes into her set, she finally grabbed a stool and crooned through slower songs almost as if she was doling out advice to the crowd, one morsel at a time. Tucker carried on with early hits from her teens - "the Columbia years" - like Blood Red and Goin' Down and What's Your Mama's Name. Even though her albums are still selling as well as those of most top country stars and loyal crowds will wait as long as it takes to see her, it may be Tucker's experience that's taken its toll on her performing side.