Interview with: Tanya Tucker
	Interview date: 9/20/04
	Interviewed by: Judy Gaultney/OnSat magazine
	Tanya Tucker, one of the performers featured in CMT Greatest Outlaws: The Dirty Dozen, airing at 8:00 p.m. (ET) Friday, Oct. 29, and the CMT Outlaws concert, which follows at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

This is Judy.

Judy, it's Tanya Tucker. How are you?

I'm fine. How are you?

OK. I'm just calling you back.

Have you got about 10 minutes?

Yeah.

OK. You had a concert last Friday, right?

Uh, last Friday, last Friday. Yeah, I usually work on the weekends. Conyers, Georgia.

And you have another one coming up this Friday, right?

Right. We're playing Huntsville, Alabama and Grandview, Texas. It's some kind of cattle--they're herding cattle up there or something like that. Sounds like fun.

Yeah, it does sound like fun. When I first started looking up information about you, I noticed there were like eight concerts between that one last Friday and the end of the year. Is that a fairly normal schedule?

No, we haven't really worked a lot this year. I changed agencies a couple of times and that kind of put me back a ways. I left William Morris, and I had been with them like 22 years. So it's kind of hard to settle into a new agency. And now I'm with APA in Nashville, and things are going pretty good. Things are starting to pick up. But I've taken a lot of time off, too. It's probably been for the best. I've kind of needed to step back and regroup and think about the future and my children and everything that's involved with that. 'Cause I'm not just making decisions on my own behalf any more, you know. I'm making decisions for three little ones, and they're all going three different ways, separate ways. They're all three so totally different. Keeping up with them, you need an army. But I'm doing the best I can.

I read in a concert review that all your children were with you at a particular concert and that Presley sang "Don't Tell Mama" a cappella.

She brought the house down, too.

Yeah, that's what I read.

I said, 'You're gonna kill 'em if you ever learn the whole song.' Oh, yeah, she's got record people--we're having to bat them off like flies, I swear. They're really excited about hearing her sing now. I guess they've heard through the grapevine, you know. They've been talking about her and she's the buzz. She's 15 now. She recorded this thing last night for a soundtrack in Japan--for Japan--for a movie. It was her first time in the studio recording. She did it like in two takes. The producer, Michael Binikos from LA, he couldn't believe it. He says, 'Oh, my God, I've never seen this happen before.' So I walked in a little later, kind of checking things out, and my ex-fiance, Jerry Laseter, he's producing as well--co-producing--and I was very pleasantly--not surprised--surprised she got through the whole song. She's into boys and school and having fun and now, I'm paying for everything I did to my dad. I'm paying for all that now. I just told my sister this whole story about Presley last night and she goes, 'Oh, my God, it sounds like you and Daddy.' So I'm definitely going to be paying for it. 'Cause she's so talented. She really is.

Are you encouraging her to pursue a music career?

I'm not encouraging. I'm really not encouraging it. I am supporting it. I'm supporting her and I let her know I'll do anything I can for her. Unfortunately, I think she might be taking that to heart. She's really very nonchalant about it. She don't get excited about much. Except maybe today going to get her driver's permit. Now, she can get excited about that.

That's today?

Yeah. So, you know, she'll get all excited about that. She got a nice little check last night, so she can't wait to go spend it. I told her she should put it in the bank and let it draw a little interest, you know. I remember what I said when my dad told me that, too. I said, 'Hell, no, I'm going to buy me a new Porsche.' Which was stupid, you know. But looking back, we can all do that.

She was making the recording for a movie?

It's for Japan. It's not for the States. It's kind of a thing we stumbled into and decided it wouldn't hurt her. I really think the guy producing it along with Jerry is very talented. I think he was right. I didn't really know. I just felt like he was. I had met him before and heard some of his work and he's a very talented guy. In fact, he's still here for the weekend. He'll be going back to LA and mixing it and sending it off to Japan. So I didn't think it would be anything that would hurt her.

Is it for a movie?

I believe so, but I'm not sure of the particulars. All I know is that Disney and a bunch of other labels are wanting to hear it. It's up to me to decide if I want to let them hear it or not. I'm going to be a little stingy with it. I know much more than I used to know. I've been in a few holes I can probably steer her around. Hopefully. You can't steer around all of them, but you do the best you can.

Do you usually take your children on tour with you?

No. When they were younger, Presley was on the road with me three weeks after I had her, which is crazy. With Grayson, I took some time off to have him, but then I was back on the road after about four months with him. So they've all been on the road with me. Of course, when they started school, I had to make other arrangements. Now I'm having to do that again with my third daughter Layla. She's now 5, and I'm keeping her out of kindergarten. I'm keeping her for one more year for probably selfish reasons. She's got a fuller agenda than I do. Her week is booked. She's got piano; she's got dance; she's got swimming lessons; she's got riding lessons and acting lessons. She's just got it all.

She's taking acting lessons already?

Yeah, we're going to get her involved in maybe some commercial things. She's got a great face and she's very animated. She's a beautiful little girl. She's very different looking. Plus, she's got a great voice.

So they all inherited the voice?

Yeah. Even my son has a great voice, but, of course, he has no interest in it. He's more of our ball player, our athlete, and he likes to run the heavy-duty equipment around the ranch. He's more into the boy things. He can fix your flat tire, I guarantee. He's 12 years old, but he can pretty much do anything. He's a real man's boy. My dad has pretty much raised him and taught him. He's constantly teaching him stuff. He could definitely probably fix the radiator in your car.

I wanted to talk to you specifically about CMT's Greatest Outlaws. Some of the words they use are outlaw, revolutionary and rebel. Why do you think you're included in those classifications?

I don't know. I don't know how I got into that. A friend of mine was over at Gretchen Wilson's. Gretchen was having a party one night. I was at the time talking to Gretchen about going down to the Virgin Islands. I was really tired that night and I sent a friend of my assistant at that time over to talk to her about it and see if she wants to go and blah, blah, blah. We were going for the Ocean Conservation Organization to try to save or create more awareness on the blue marlins because they're on the endangered list, I think. So I was wanting her to go down there with me. They wanted to do a film and maybe make a special out of it, so I sent her over there to talk to them about it. I think while she was over there they got to talking. Somehow I got on this TV show. I don't know how I did it. I'm not sure how that happened. I wasn't surprised, but I was flattered to be included in the Dirty Dozen, if that's flattery. I mean for people to consider me a rebel is pretty cool because I am bad in certain ways. I don't think I'm the same kind of rebel they are. There are lots of different kinds of rebels. I wouldn't put me in Hank Jr.'s category or Kid Rock's. Me and Gretchen, we're pretty tight. We're a lot alike, and we're a lot different, too, though. I don't think there's anybody like me in that category, but then again, there's probably not anybody like anybody else in that category. Maybe that's what makes them outlaws.

Each person is so unique.

Yeah. I think so. And maybe there's a couple there that maybe need to be there, but I won't mention any names.

Why do you think people are so attracted to rebels?

Because they have either the nerve or they have no brain cells to step outside and do their own thing against the grain. They're going against the grain, and I think anybody who does that gets a lot of attention. Anybody that has made any waves, any incredible statements, in this business, in entertainment period, has always come from the downside. Like Elvis Presley, the poor boy, the meager beginnings, the rags to riches, the American dream. Nobody wants to hear about somebody being born with a silver spoon in their mouth all the time. Nobody likes that. It would be nice to be like one of those Hilton girls, you know, and grow up in the Waldorf Astoria, but then I'm sitting with my little girl Presley in New York the other day. We were in a cab and we drove by the Waldorf Astoria and I said, 'Hey, that's where Paris Hilton and her sister grew up.' And she said, 'Oh, man, really? Wow! That would be so cool.' And I said, 'You know what, I don't think so. I think you'd get tired of that kind of existence. You wouldn't be you. You'd be part of a chain, you know. People end up hating people like that, you know.' I think it would probably be nice to visit and be there for a couple of days, but then I'd rather go back to where I came from, where you've got a chance to be somebody. If you're born somebody, it's hard to be somebody after that. So I find myself explaining these things to Presley and learning myself as I'm explaining to her. Not really learning but just sort of kind of realizing it or admitting to it, should I say.

Do you still feel like you're a rebel?

Oh, yeah, definitely. I'll always be a rebel. But that doesn't mean I'm going to be a rebel the same way I used to be. Just to be rebellious is something I think every kid goes through long about 18, 19, 20, somewhere along in there. I did it a little later than most kids because I had a pretty solid family background, a foundation there. No matter how far out on the limb I went I always had that bringing me back in, sort of my net. Now I'm staying closer to the net, you know. I'm kind of like sitting on the net looking up at the people flying around and going like, 'Wow, you better be careful, because this net ain't gonna be here for long.' You're not going to have it always, and by the time you don't have the net, like your parents, around any longer, then hopefully you've learned enough to get you through raising your own kids.

Your father's still alive, right?

Yes. My mother–I was just on the phone with him just a second ago–she broke her hip last night. We're going over to the hospital right now. That's where I'm headed. She broke her pelvis on her birthday, July 21, so she's trying to get over that. Then all of a sudden, she falls again. I just called and they're taking her into surgery. So we're all a little tense about that. They're 77, my parents are, so it's not a good time to be falling.

No, it's not.

I heard John F. Kennedy Jr. say that he didn't think anyone ever really grew up until both parents were gone. That's something nobody looks forward to, but I think it's a true statement because that net's gone and you have nowhere to fall but on what you've accomplished and what you are inside and what you've built inside for yourself. You build things outside like a house, but you have to build on the inside, too. Sometimes the inside is more important.

Oh, absolutely. Have you chosen the music you're going to perform in the Outlaws concert?

That's another thing. I thought I was going to do a duet with Gretchen, that's what I thought. This is the whole thing: I thought, 'We're doing to do a duet. We're going to jam with these guys, Hank Jr.'s band, we better do something safe. How about "(Me and) Bobby McGee?"' I threw that out. They came back and said, 'No, why don't you guys together do 'My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.' I thought 'That's OK, as long as you've got a teleprompter. I've never done the song before.' Then they said, 'You do Bobby McGee by yourself,' and I said, 'Fine.' Come to find out, I just did Bobby McGee, and everybody was saying to me afterwards, they were complaining, 'What's the deal? Why didn't you do more songs'? Like it was my fault, you know. I said, 'Hey, I wasn't running this show.' But then the first thing my dad said, of course, was 'I hope you're getting paid for this.' Cause if he finds out somebody's getting paid and I ain't, he's going to be really ticked off at me for doing it. I really just thought it was a fun thing. …

Your voice has been described as strong, unbridled, bluesy, raspy. How would you describe your distinctive sound?

Oh, gosh, I don't know. I have no idea. Bottom of the bucket, I don't know. Since I hear my voice all the time, I don't think anything of it, you know. People are always saying, when I'm walking down the street, if I talk, if I open my mouth to talk, I don't care if I'm in Paris, France, people will turn around and look at me like 'I know that person. I've heard that person before.' My voice is, I guess, real recognizable, but it's not to me. I don't have any perception of that. I'm thinking 'Why doesn't Disney call me for some of this animated stuff?' If I've got such a great voice because a lot of people are doing that these days. You can make more money doing that sometimes than anything. So I'm waiting for that call.What is your favorite Tanya Tucker song?Well, I think, probably, just for sentimental reasons, plus because it transcends all time barriers, that would be 'Delta Dawn.' I think if I released it now it would be a hit, probably a bigger hit cause I know how to promote the dang thing. Being a new artist we didn't know how to do that. I think that's probably my sentimental favorite. I've got lots of favorites but 'Two Sparrows in a Hurricane' is probably another favorite. Some of my best songs were never released as singles, so they're kind of unknown. Presley could make a whole career out of cutting songs that didn't get their due. The record company at that time said, 'Ah, we don't think that will work.' I've never known many record companies to know what they're doing anyway. They about killed my career. I could have done without 'em, you know. We were just fodder for the cannon. Hopefully, the younger artists coming up, they'll treat them a little better.

What is your favorite song of all time, not just your songs but those of others, too?

Oh, my God, that's a hard one. I've got a list as long as my arm for that. I mean, some of my favorites would be 'Coat of Many Colors,' 'Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?', Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel,' 'The Grand Tour' by George Jones. That's a hard question because I have a lot of them. 'El Paso' is probably one of my favorites, Marty Robbins. I like Alan Jackson; I think he's hot. I think he's like what we call a celebrity, no, not celebrity. He's like a legend, you know. Just go ahead and put him in the legend category. Put him on up there. I think he's great. I love that song he did, 'Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)?' I think he's going to stay around awhile, but I still think of him as a newcomer, you know. He's great.

How have sales been for your Tanya album?

Well, sales to me were disappointing because. There were a lot of becauses. One was the record label that I chose to distribute the record. Actually, how I got involved with them was through a lawyer who ended up stealing millions of dollars from me. So it's just been one bad thing after the other. Capital Records was supposed to distribute but I don't know what the hell they ever did. I don't know if they ever made many copies of it. So I think they were just out to sit on my career and make sure I stayed put. But we're going to figure something out. I don't know. I think this album is a great album and I think it needs to be heard. We're going to kind of step back and see what we need to do. …

I understand you're coming out with another book, 100 Ways to Beat the Blues.

101 Ways to Beat the Blues.When is it due out?I'm not sure. It's coming out real soon. I think October. There are some really great quotes in there, and I got some super people. It's going to be a real interesting, interesting book.

So you compiled this yourself.

Actually with the help of my friend Patsi Cox, who also wrote my autobiography. She's the one to come up with the idea. I just pretty much sent a fax out to everybody I wanted to be in the book and said, 'Tell me what you do when you get down.' I had some really interesting great quotes and nice things, really nice. I'm looking forward to it. If it's successful, we'll do another one maybe and everybody who didn't do it this time is going to wish they had.

You referred to Jerry Lasater as your ex-fiance. The last thing I had read you were still planning to get married, there just wasn't a date set.

No. No, no, no, no. We've been broke up for about a year, I guess. We're still amicable, and so far, we're trying to be friends. I don't know what's going to happen, but we've got a little girl, and, of course, she wants her parents to be together. I just have a lot of things to figure out and decide if that's the best. If we're not getting along and we're not meant for each other, then it wouldn't be good for us to be together just for her. You've got to be together for other reasons. So we're working on that. I care for him dearly. I think he has such talent. I get so angry with him though.

Are you still working together on music?

Oh, yeah, he's been working with Presley, in fact. He thinks she's just the dynamite of the century, you know. He's planning on co-producing her now.Was she named for Elvis Presley?Yes. Oh, yeah.Layla is named for your sister, isn't she?Layla LaCosta after Eric Clapton's song Layla and my sister LaCosta.And Grayson's named for your dad?Right. Beau Grayson. My brother is the only one left out. I told him if I had another kid, maybe I'd just put him in there. My brother Don.

Is there anything I haven't asked you about in relation to these two programs that you would like for our readers to know?

Just that I'm excited. We performed with Hank Williams Jr.'s band, and we kicked butt. It was good; it was really good. Of course, I could not hear. Right before I went on, I went, 'Let me check the mike.' And the guy goes, 'OK.' And I went, 'La,' and it was out in the house. I said, 'I can't check the mike. The damn house is on. Turn the house off and I'll do a mike check here.' About the time I said that, they said, 'Tanya Tucker' and here I was on stage. When I said the first note, I could not hear anything but the band. I had the odds against me, and I couldn't even tell if I was singing in key. That's how bad it was. But everybody was happy about it. They said it was really good. I don't know. I'll see.

So Bobby McGee was the only song you ended up doing?

Yeah, I just did '(Me And) Bobby McGee.' I hung out with everybody. It was a lot of fun. I think really though, they just kind of -- because of the party that night -- they kind of slid me in there for some reason. I don't think they really had planned for me to be on the show. I don't think so. I don't get that feeling anyway. I think now they wish I had been on there a little more.

They should have thought about that.

I wrote a song called that: 'You Should Have Thought About That.' It's on my new album. You've got to listen to it. It's exactly that. They should have thought about that. A lot of people are going to be thinking things like that for awhile. Like old George said, 'They should have treated me better.' It was fun and I enjoyed it. And I love the relationship I have with Gretchen. She's a doll. So if I can help her out any way in the world, I will do that. If she needs my help, if she needs my advice, I'll give her what little I do know and hopefully it will help her out. …Thank you so much.My pleasure.

I'll be saying a prayer for your mom.

Oh, thank you so much.

You take care.

You, too. Bye, bye.

Bye.

We here at OnSat value your opinion! If you would like to give us your feedback on this interview, send your comments to writers@tripled.com