Tanya Tucker is a country legend. Over the years, she has sent 10 singles to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs and notched 40 top 10 hits. Songs like “The Jamestown Ferry,” “Texas (When I Die),” “Strong Enough to Bend,” and “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane” have dominated the airwaves and charts for decades. However, it all started with Tucker’s signature song, “Delta Dawn.”
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Tucker was just 13 years old when she recorded “Delta Dawn” in 1972. Three days after her 15th birthday, on October 13, she appeared on the country variety show Hee Haw for the first time. That night, viewers watched a child take the hay-strewn stage of their favorite weekend TV show. Then, she opened her mouth to sing and gave everyone a glimpse of the legend she would someday become.
[RELATED: From Phoenix to Nashville—How Tanya Tucker Reached Superstardom at 13 Years Old]
Tanya Tucker Finds Early Success with Delta Dawn
Tanya Tucker began her career with a chance performance at the Arizona State Fair. That night, she shared the stage with country great Mel Tillis. Less than five years later, the 13-year-old singer had inked a deal with Columbia Records and was working with legendary producer and A&R man, Billy Sherrill.
Larry Collins and Alex Harvey wrote “Delta Dawn,” and it was almost immediately recorded by several artists. Bette Midler originally planned to release the song as the lead single from her debut album, The Divine Miss M. However, Helen Reddy’s version dropped just two days before Midler’s planned release date. So, her label chose different songs for her debut release. Fortunately, though, Midler performed the song on The Tonight Show before the change took place.
According to Songfacts, Sherrill saw Midler’s performance of the song and knew it would be perfect for his new artist. After hearing the first lines of Harvey’s demo recording, Tucker was on board. “That’s my song. That’s it,” she said, and they began work on what would become her debut single.
Tanya Tucker released “Delta Dawn” as her debut single on April 10, 1972. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated August 5. Today, more than 50 years later, it is still her signature song.
Featured Image by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
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