Tanya Tucker

People struck by the "Lolita" phenomenon of younger and younger performers like Britney Spears and Leann Rimes seem to forget the controversy created when Tanya Tucker took material as mature as "Delta Dawn" and David Allen Coe's "Would You Lay With Me (In A Field of Stone)" into the charts in the early 1970s, at ages 13 and 15 respectively. Tucker's performing gift had been nurtured much earlier by her father, who had her performing in bars and clubs throughout the Southwest at age six. Tucker was one of the biggest country stars of the '70s, but her big, slightly raspy voice and often excellent material has been overshadowed by a life lived in the tabloid spotlight. Her marriage and divorce from Glenn Campbell and substance abuse problems all served to divert attention from her music. It's unfortunate, because Tucker really paved the way for a large number of female country stars that hit the charts in the '90s. She had an unprecedented career renaissance in 1991, winning the CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year.