Raised on a sole diet of country music in Willcox, Arizona where Tucker grew up, by the age of eight had her heart set on becoming a country music singer. Tanya’s debut performance came alongside singer Mel Tillis, after which in 1969, the Tucker family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. The eleven year old prodigy subsequently began performing regularly and impressed enough to ultimately sign with Columbia Records. Released in early 1972 Tucker’s debut single “Delta Dawn” made waves across the U.S. peaking at No. six on the Billboard Country Charts. In the same vein as young country music stars Brenda Lee and Wanda Jackson, audiences were amazed by her age, adding to the majesty of her performance.
Tucker subsequently released the Top 10 singles “Love’s the Answer”, followed by the No. 1 Hit “What’s Your Mama’s Name” in the spring of 1973. The releases set the scene for Tucker’s future output and propelled her to national stardom, aided by the No. 1 singles “Blood Red and Goin’ Down” and “Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)”. Following a string of further hit singles in the early 1970s, Tucker inked a deal with MCA Records and surprised audiences by adopting rock n roll sensibilities on her 1978 album “T.N.T.”.
With dwindling sales and only the occasional hit, Tucker began collaborating with Glen Campbell before moving to Arista Records in 1982. The full-length “Changes” arrived the same year spawning the hit “Feel Right”, marking a period of high alcohol and drug consumption for the singer. Overcoming her difficulties, Tucker returned with a bang and the No. 3 Hit single “One Love at a Time” in 1986. A steady stream of hits followed including the No. 1’s “I Won’t Take Less Than Your Love”, “If It Don’t Come Easy”, and “Strong Enough to Bend”, after which the singer was voted the Female Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1991.
Tucker enjoyed another period of success in the ‘90s with eight consecutive Top 10 singles, breaking the mould of former child stars that can't maintain their success. The singer’s 31st album release “Tanya” arrived in 2002, followed by a series of compilations and live albums including “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” in 2005, and “My Turn” in 2009.
Hailing from Waco, Texas, U.S., Wade Bowen’s earliest musical success came with the band West 84, which introduced the Texan to songwriting and performing life. By 2001 the band had changed direction leaving Bowen, who had graduated from college with a degree in public relations, with an important decision whether he would continue to pursue music. That decision was made clear with the release of his debut album “Try Not to Listen”, which made waves across Waco, Texas upon release in 2002. Spawning the regional hit “Try Not to Listen”, Bowen supported the record by playing anywhere up to 250 concerts, strengthening the singer’s live performance skills.
Showcasing his energetic, emotive and crowd-pleasing live show, Bowen issued the live album “The Blue Light Live” in September 2004, marking the singer’s first exposure outside of Texas. The full-length “Lost Hotel” subsequently arrived in February 2006 on Sustain Records spawning the single/music video “God Bless This Town”. The singer-songwriter’s breakthrough came two years later in September 2008 with his third studio album “If We Ever Make It Home”. The record was his first to land on any national chart, peaking at No. 29 on the U.S. Country, and was led by the singles “Daddy and the Devil” and “Trouble”.
The concert CD “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” followed in April 2010, peaking at No. 41 on the U.S. Country Music Chart, after which Bowen signed with BNA Records who issued his fourth full-length “The Given” in May 2012. Far surpassing the success of its predecessors, “The Given” landed at No. 9 on the U.S Country Chart, and No. 44 on the Billboard 200. The popular singles “Saturday Night” and “To Live Is to Fly” were subsequently released in time for Bowen to embark on a relentless national tour. In 2013 Bowen issued the single “Songs About Trucks”, before issuing his self-titled, fourth album in October 2014. Once again peaking at No. 9 on the U.S. Country Charts, the record spawned the single “When I Woke Up Today”, and was followed by the split album “Hold My Beer, Vol. 1” alongside Randy Rogers.
Tanya Tucker still has it. She has been performing for over forty years now, but she has not lost a step at all. I saw her in 2012 in Las Vegas and she put on an incredible show. She was warm and engaging with the crowd. She sang for over two hours and performed every single major hit that I think she has ever had and the crowd sang along with almost all of them. I loved her performance of “Wine Me Up” and “Down to My Last Teardrop.” A lot of singers lost their voice as they get older, but Tanya Tucker still sounds exactly like she did when she started performing in the 70s, if not better. She sounds more in control of her voice and confident in her abilities. Another great part of the show is the way she interacted with the crowd. Between songs she would tell us stories about other country legends, like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams Jr. I am not going to recount them here, but this talented lady has seen and heard a lot of crazy things over the years, especially from other Outlaw country musicians. A lot of modern country has moved toward a more Pop sound, but Tanya Tucker has remained true to her roots and still performs classic Outlaw Country. If you love that kind of music, you will definitely love to see her live.
Texan musician Wade Bowen simply lives and breaths his home State through his music. He has been releasing albums since 2002 yet his reputation exploded following the successful 'If We Ever Make It Home' album selling well in 2008. Since then he has been slowly ascending the charts and the stages at an equal speed yet his down to earth approach to music and charming personality keeps the tours intimate no matter how many people he is entertaining.
He has not achieved commercial singles so there is freedom when it comes to choosing a setlist yet the majority of it is composed of tracks lifted from 'The Given' and 'If We Ever Make it Home'. Wade builds rapport almost instantly and the good feelings last all evening as the crowds sing, applaud and sway with very little prompt. He says his earnest thank yous before his live band begins the introductions to a finale of 'Turn On The Lights' which is a fitting end to an enjoyable show.
We missed the Jack Ingram set. But we caught the Los Lobos set. Which was outstanding. Most underrated band in the business. The best moment was a cover of Sir Douglas Quintets "She's about a Mover". Jack Ingram joined in for the chorus. #epic.
Asleep at the Wheel is phenomenal. The music never gets old, but they find a way to keep it sounding fresh and on fire. We loved it, as did everyone we talked to. Can't wait to see them again sometime.