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Tanya Rabbati, a 16th century Italian code of Jewish law, is an unrelated work with a similar name. For other uses, see Tanya (disambiguation).

Edition of the Tanya printed in Faid from 1974. The 7th leader of Chabad encouraged new printings to be made in remote places

The Tanya (תניא) is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, first published in 1797. Its formal title is Likkutei Amarim (ליקוטי אמרים, Hebrew, "collection of statements"), but is more commonly known by its opening word, Tanya, which means "it was taught in a beraita". It comprises five sections that define Hasidic mystical psychology and theology as a handbook for daily spiritual life in Jewish observance.

The Tanya is the main work of the Chabad approach to Hasidic mysticism, as it defines its general interpretation and method. The subsequent extensive library of the Chabad school, authored by successive leaders, builds upon the approach of the Tanya. Chabad differed from "Mainstream Hasidism" in its search for philosophical investigation and intellectual analysis of Hasidic Torah exegesis. This emphasised the mind as the route to internalising Hasidic mystical dveikus (emotional fervour), in contrast to general Hasidism's creative enthusiasm in faith. As a consequence, Chabad Hasidic writings are typically characterised by their systematic intellectual structure, while other classic texts of general Hasidic mysticism are usually more compiled or anecdotal in nature.

As one of the founding figures of Hasidic mysticism, Schneur Zalman and his approach in the Tanya are venerated by other Hasidic schools, although they tend to avoid its meditative methods. In Chabad it is called "the Written Torah of Hasidus", with the many subsequent Chabad writings being relatively "Oral Torah" explanation. In it, Schneur Zalman brings the new interpretations of Jewish mysticism by the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism, into philosophical articulation and definition. This intellectual form synthesises Hasidic Divine Omnipresence and Jewish soulfulness with other historical components of Rabbinic literature, embodied in the Talmud, Medieval philosophy, Musar (ethical) literature and Lurianic Kabbalah. The Tanya has therefore been seen in Chabad as the defining Hasidic text, and a subsequent stage of Jewish mystical evolution.^[1]

Background to the Chabad approach[link]

The Tanya deals with Jewish spirituality, psychology and theology from the point of view of Hasidic philosophy and its inner explanations of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). It offers advice for each individual on how to serve God in their daily life.

Early Hasidic movement[link]

The first few generations of the Hasidic movement established the various approaches of its different schools. The third generation great students of Dov Ber of Mezeritch, who spread out across Eastern Europe, became the leaders of Hasidism in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Russia. Among them, Schneur Zalman articulated a different approach to Hasidic Philosophy from general Hasidism. The founding Hasidic mysticism of the Baal Shem Tov, and subsequent Hasidic Masters, emphasised the emotions of dveikus to cleave to the Omnipresent Divine. The intellectual ("Chabad") approach of Schneur Zalman, continued by successive Lubavitch Rebbes, emphasised the mind as the route to the inner heart. The Chabad school requires knowledge of Godliness, drawn from Hasidic Philosophy, to establish Hasidic mystical faith. This enabled Schneur Zalman to take Hasidus to Lithuanian Jews from nearby White Russia, and aroused the opposition of their early leaders. In this, Chabad is a separate offshoot of general Hasidism, and to its students is the profound fulfillment of systematically articulating its inner depths. Therefore, in Chabad, the Baal Shem Tov and Schneur Zalman, who share the same birthday, are called the "two great luminaries" (after Genesis 1:16, according to the Midrashic account, before the moon was diminished), representing heart and mind.

Kabbalah and Hasidism[link]

The historical development of Kabbalah, from the 12th century, and its new formulations in the 16th century, explained the subtle aspects and categories of the traditional system of Jewish metaphysics. Hasidic spirituality left aside the abstract focus of Kabbalah on the Spiritual Realms, to look at its inner meaning and soul as it relates to man in this World.^[2] The founder of Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov, brought the Kabbalistic idea of Omnipresent Divine immanence in Creation into daily Jewish worship of the common folk. This enabled the popularisation of Kabbalah by relating it to the natural psychological perception and emotional dveikus (fervour) of man. The mystical dimension of Judaism became accessible and tangible to the whole community. Outwardly this was expressed in new veneration of sincerity, emphasis on prayer and deeds of loving-kindness. The unlettered Jewish folk were cherished and encouraged in their sincere simplicity, while the elite scholars sought to emulate their negation of ego through study of Hasidic exegetical thought. Hagiographic storytelling about Hasidic Masters captured the mystical charisma of the tzaddik. The inner dimension of this mystical revival of Judaism was expressed by the profound new depth of interpretation of Jewish mysticism in Hasidic philosophy. Great scholars also followed the Baal Shem Tov as they saw the profound meanings of his new teachings. The Baal Shem Tov's successor Dov Ber of Mezeritch became the architect of the Hasidic movement, and explained to his close circle of disciples the underlying meanings of the Baal Shem Tov's explanations, parables and stories.

Chabad[link]

Mind versus heart. Among Dov Ber's disciples, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi formed Hasidic Philosophy into a profound intellectual system, called "Chabad" after the Kabbalistic terms for the intellect, that differs from mainstream Hasidic emotional approaches to mystical faith. This seeks inward Jewish observance, while downplaying charismatic Hasidic enthusiasm, that it sees as external. The mysticism of Schneur Zalman did not seek cold intellectual investigation. In common with all of Hasidism, it awakens joy and negation of self awareness, from the Jew's perception of the Divine in all things. But in Chabad, later to be called after its Russian village of Lubavitch, external emotional expression is seen as superficial if devoid of inner contemplation. In this vein, it is related that the second Lubavitch Rebbe, Dov Ber Schneuri, would pray motionless for hours. Emotional expression was replaced with inner, hidden emotional ecstasy from his intellectual contemplation of Hasidic Philosophy during prayer. At the end of praying, his hat and clothing would be soaked in perspiration. Typically, he wrote one of the most personal mystical accounts in Judaism, his "Tract on Ecstasy", that instructs the Chabad follower in the levels of contemplation. This explains his father's concept of the Chabad articulation of Hasidism. While the Baal Shem Tov stressed the heart, Schneur Zalman stressed the mind, but it was a warm, fiery mystical intellectualism.

Intellect versus faith. By giving Hasidus philosophical investigation, the Chabad school explained the inner meanings of the "Torah of the Baal Shem Tov". Its systematic investigation enables the mind to grasp and internalize the transcendent spirituality of mainstream Hasidism. If the mind can bring the soul of Hasidism into understanding and knowledge through logic, then its effects on the person can be more inward. The classic writings of other Hasidic schools also relate the inner mysticism of Hasidic Philosophy to the perception of each person. The aim of the Hasidic movement is to offer the Jewish mystical tradition in a new, internal form that speaks to every person. This would awaken spiritual awareness and feeling of God, through understanding of its mystical thought. Mainstream Hasidism relates this mystical revival through charismatic leadership and understanding based faith. The path of Schneur Zalman differs from other Hasidism, as it seeks to approach the heart through the development of the mind. Chabad writings of each generation of its dynasty, develop this intellectual explanation of Hasidic mystical ideas, into successively greater and more accessible reach. In recent times the last two Rebbes expressed the spiritual warmth of Chabad in terms of daily reality, language and relevance, in the Yiddish translations and memoires of Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, and especially the Likkutei Sichos of Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Chabad Hasidus and other dimensions of Jewish thought. Because the approach of Chabad explains Hasidus in intellectual form, it can incorporate into its explanation the other aspects of historical Jewish thought. Complimentary or initially contradictory explanations of Jewish thought from Rabbinic Judaism, Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah can become synthesised into one unity. It can connect the different disciplines of mysticism (Kabbalah) and Jewish philosophy (Hakira), by relating to a higher, essential unity in Divinity, that harmonises diverse ideas. This approaches classic questions of theology from a different route than Hakira. The Jewish philosophers of the Middle Ages, such as Maimonides, reconciled Judaism with Greek philosophy. Their explanations of the nature of the Divine, are related from man's independent understanding from first principles. Hasidic thought looks to the inner meaning of Kabbalah, a conceptual system of metaphysics from mystical encounters with revelation. The insights it brings to theological questions, brought out in its Chabad explanation, are related from a mystical, higher reality "from above". When Hasidic thought addresses traditional questions, such as Divine Providence, immanence and transcendence, it offers "Inner Torah" explanations of spirituality, that can also be harmonised with the explanations of the "Revealed Torah". It is the ability of Hasidic thought to bring the abstract, esoteric systems of Kabbalah into conscious perception and mystical faith, by relating them to man's inner psychological awareness. The ideal of the Chabad approach is to articulate this spiritual perception in terms of man's understanding and knowledge.^[3]

Structure[link]

Rabbi Shneur Zalman published his Likkutei Amarim anonymously in 1797. Later editions incorporated additional writings by Shneur Zalman. The latest version of this work, dating from 1814, consists of five parts:

1. 1 Sefer shel Beinonim ("The Book of the Average Men"). This book is a Hasidic guide to the psychological drama of daily Jewish spiritual life. It describes how contemplating the mystical greatness of the Creator and the union that a Jew has with Him through the Torah's commandments, can achieve the love and fear of God necessary for sincere worship. This approach is the fundamental theme of Chabad teaching: to achieve emotional refinement during prayer and Jewish observance. However, in the path offered, this emotion must stem from intellectual understanding of Hasidic mysticism. That is why this approach and the movement are called Chabad, after the three intellectual Sephirot (God's emanations in Kabbalah): Chochmah (Wisdom), Binah (Understanding), Da'at (Knowledge). A Hasidic psychology of a Jew's two souls is investigated, the Divine soul and the Natural soul. The Divine soul is a true "part of God", a historic emphasis in Jewish thought, though based on earlier sources. The book's guidance is for the intermediate person who is tempted by natural instincts, while the service of the true tzaddik in mystical thought is transcendent and only involved with holiness.
2. 2 Sha'ar ha-Yichud ve'ha'Emunah ("The Gateway of Unity and Belief"). This book outlines the theological background to the first section's Hasidic life. It is an investigation of the meaning of God's Unity in Hasidism. The Panentheism (all creation takes place "within God") taught by the Baal Shem Tov is systematically articulated in Kabbalistic philosophy. God is all, but all is not God. Two levels of God's Unity are both paradoxically true, based on the Kabbalistic doctrine of the Tzimtzum. In the "Lower Unity" all Creation is nullified to God. In the "Higher Unity", Creation is an acosmic illusion as only God truly exists. The apparent plurality in Creation is only an effect of the concealments of Divinity. The origin of everything is nullification within the Divine Unity.
3. 3 Iggeret HaTeshuvah ("Letter of Repentance"). This gives the Hasidic interpretation and Chabad method of Teshuvah (Return to God). This section is also known as the "Tanya Katan" ("Brief Tanya") as it is the gateway to all personal spiritual redemption. It describes the mystical return that not only leads to forgiveness for the sins but can fully enable the repenting person to be elevated to a spiritual place that is higher than where they were before the sin. In Hasidism any spiritual descent is only a preparation for a higher ascent. Two levels of Teshuvah are described, based on their meanings in Kabbalah. The "Lower Teshuvah" redeems sin. The "Higher Teshuvah" brings constant elevation unconnected to sin. Because of this, the founder of Hasidism taught that even saintly tzadikim are able to be inspired to do Teshuvah.
4. 4 Iggeret HaKodesh ("Letter of Holiness"). This section was not published until 1814, after Rabbi Shneur Zalman's passing. It is a collection of letters which the author wrote to his disciples and different Hasidic communities, in which he talked about mystical aspects of certain commandments, such as charity, Torah study, or in general all commandments concerned with physical deed. Today it is used as a source of certain in-depth concepts of the "Written Hasidism" not concerned specifically with emotion felt during service or repentance. It is a more esoteric and detailed work of Kabbalistic commentary than the previous sections. Schematically it would relate to a person who had internalised the fundamental first three sections, and could progress higher.
5. 5 Kuntres Acharon ("Last Thesis"). This section was not published until 1814, after Rabbi Shneur Zalman's passing. It is also a series of letters in which the author resolved certain seeming controversies in Kabbalah. This section is an even more in-depth investigation of profound mystical notions than the previous one. Like the fourth section, it can be seen as an addition to the first three fundamental sections.

In general, the first book is most concerned with avodah, everyday Divine service. The latter ones address specific topics. The last two give more complicated and in-depth mystical concepts, the author uniting abstract Kabbalistic ideas with the importance of everyday service and an emotion that must accompany it.

Subject matter[link]

Most of the work's first part, "The Book of the Average Man", the beinoni, serves as a fundamental and basic guide to the spiritual service of God.

Unlike other early Hasidic works, this book is not a collection of sermons or stories, but rather a systematic exposition of Shneur Zalman's philosophy. Lubavitcher Hasidim are enjoined to study from this work each day as part of Chitas - an acronym for Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya. The Rebbes of Chabad taught that it is a sacred duty to publish and distribute this book as widely as possible.

The Tanya seeks to demonstrate to the "average" Jewish man or woman that knowledge of God is there for the taking, that spiritual growth to ever higher levels is real and imminent, if one is willing to engage in the struggle.^[4] Although many view the Tanya as a work of explanation on Kabbalah or Jewish mysticism, its approbations make clear that Tanya is first and foremost a book of advice in the practical service of God.

Levels of divine service[link]

The Tanya describes five levels:

• The complete tzaddik ("righteous person") has transformed his animal soul completely, to the point that it is able to reach intense Godly delight in its connection to Godliness, and is disgusted by all worldly pleasures.^[5]
• The incomplete tzaddik no longer desires evil in a way that will be externally expressed, even on the level of thought; however, a minute amount of desire for very subtle evil remains.^[6]
• The beinoni (lit. "intermediate one") possesses an animal soul that still desires evil, but he succeeds at constantly restraining himself from sin in action, speech, and even thought; this, however, requires ongoing tension and struggle. This struggle is not simply the confrontation between good and evil, but rather the ongoing encounter between one's two souls - the animal and the divine - the soul that draws downward toward the earth, and the soul that aspires upward toward Hashem.^[7]
• The incomplete rasha ("evil person") has committed sin without doing teshuva, but does good deeds as well.^[8]
• The total rasha has sinned so frequently that none of his thought, speech, or action are controlled by the divine soul (though it remains in an "external" state of makkif attached to him), and he is exclusively controlled by his animal soul.^[9]

Jewish criticism of[link]

It has been suggested that the Tanya’s concept of two souls, and the statement that the souls of the Gentile nations of the world are different from those of Jewish souls, either has the potential to develop into, or to provide support for racism,^[10] or that it endorses a kind of "metaphysical racism",^[11] or that it is "a dangerous and indeed racist idea and contrary to normative Jewish belief." ^[12]

Exposition[link]

In Chabad, the Tanya is said to be the Written Torah of Hasidic philosophy, for it is the first work of Hasidic philosophy recorded by its own author, in contrast to the works of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch, whose words were transcribed by their disciples.^[13] This implies that the teachings of Hasidic philosophy in general are all an exposition of the Tanya, just as the Torah teaches that the entire purpose of the Oral Torah is to elucidate the Written Torah.

In his preface to the Tanya, the author writes that anyone with questions about the meaning or application of the Tanya's guidance should approach "the great ones in his city." In Chabad Hasidic parlance such a guide is known as a Mashpia. Such a person is trained by his predecessors in correct application of the Tanya.

Many works have been written explaining the Tanya, in particular: the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Reshimos on the Tanya, HaLekach VehaLibuv, Shiu'rim BeSefer HaTanya (in its English translation, known as "Lessons in Tanya"),^[14] Maskil Le'Eisan, Biurei Ha'Tanya, and "Opening The Tanya," "Learning the Tanya," and "Understanding the Tanya" by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.

Aphorisms[link]

"Our understanding in Tanya is like a goat looking at the moon"--Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn.^[15]

"Schneur Zalman of Liadi has managed to put such a great God into such a small book"- Zusha of Hanipol

"With the Tanya the Jewish people will go to greet the Messiah"--Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev

See also[link]

• Hasidic philosophy

Topics:

• Devekut
• Divine providence (Judaism)
• Jewish meditation

Influences:

• Shene luhoth ha-berit influenced Hasidism and is echoed in the Tanya
• Judah Loew ben Bezalel articulated Kabbalah in philosophical forms

Commentary:

• Dovber Schneuri differentiated between general Hasidic emotional "enthusiasm" and the Habad ideal of intellectually formed "ecstacy"
• Sholom Dovber Schneersohn advocated the use of pilpul in expounding Hasidic thought

References[link]

Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (July 2010)

Further reading[link]

• HaRav Shneor Zalman of Liadi, Tanya: Likutei Amarim: Sefer Shel Benonim (It was taught, Collected Sayings: Book of Intermediates) with added notes explaining the Mystical concepts by Rabbi Nissan Mindel PH.D.& Rabbi Ya'acov Immanuel Schochet, Bi-Lingual Hebrew-English edition, Kehot Publishing.com

External links[link]

• Watch Live Tanya Class
• Hitbonenut-Paths of the Tanya series - Dr. Yehiel Harari
• Kabbalah and the Psychology of the Soul
• Hebrew full-text
• Tanya in translation with commentary (Lessons in Tanya)
• Daily Tanya Study in Hebrew
• The printing of Tanya

Vivienne Tanya Stephens, better known by her stage name Tanya Stephens (born 2 July 1973, Kingston, Jamaica)^[1] is an influential reggae artist who emerged in the late 1990s. Stephens is most known for her hits "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet" — the single was later featured on the Reggae Gold 1997 compilation album — and "It's a Pity", which achieved Tanya international recognition.^[2]

Biography[link]

Stephens was born in 1973 and grew up in St. Mary and St. Ann, attending Zion Hill and Ocho Rios primary schools and St Mary High.^[1]

Her album Rebelution was released in August 2006,^[2] and the first single "These Streets" was a number one hit in the Caribbean staying on Tempo's Chart at number 1 for more than 4 weeks. The album was totally sold out in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean. The track "Rosa" is a tribute to Rosa Parks.^[3]

Her early material was lyrically typical of dancehall and drew comparisons with Lady Saw,^[4] along with whom she was proclaimed "the top female artists in Jamaica" in 1998 by the Washington Post,^[5] but later developed beyond what she called "the same old four topics" to 'reality' themes and even lyrics critical of homophobia.^[2] Social scientist Clinton Hutton said of her: "She is very intuitively intelligent and deftly tackles relevant social issues".^[1]

Her 2001 album Sintoxicated saw her sign to Warner Music Sweden and make "a Macy Gray-style pop album with two Swedish producers, Emil Gotthard and Peter Cartiers".^[6]

In 2007, Stephens was awarded a scholarship by Resource Development International to study for a Business Management degree via the internet from the University of Sunderland.^[7]

Her latest album Infallible, was released in 2010.^[8]

Stephens has a daughter, Kelly, born in 1994.^[9]

Bedouin Soundclash reference Tanya's hit "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet" in "Living In Jungles" from the album Sounding a Mosaic.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Big Things A Gwaan RUNNetherlands 1994
• Too Hype VP Records 1997
• Ruff Rider VP Records 1998
• Sintoxicated Warner 2001
• Gangsta Blues VP Records 2004 Top Reggae Albums: #10
• Rebelution VP Records 2006 Top Reggae Albums: #11
• Infallible Tarantula Records 2010
• Guilty VP Records

Singles[link]

• "It's A Pity" (Doctor's Darling Riddim)
• "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet"
• "Cherry Brandy"
• "Draw fi Mi Finger"
• "Freaky Type"
• "Cry and Bawl"
• "Boom Wuk"
• "These Streets"
• "Dance 4 Me" (Mark Morrison featuring Tanya Stephens)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Interview with Tanya Stephens on Jamaican Observer (2003)
• Robbo Ranks interviews Tanya Stephens for 1Xtra (audio interview, 2006)
• Recent interview with Tanya Stephens (2008)

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (February 2011)

Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker (right) with niece Donelle at the 2005 CMA Music Festival.
Background information
Birth name	Tanya Denise Tucker
Born	(1958-10-10) October 10, 1958 (age 53) Seminole, Texas, US
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Years active	1972–present
Labels	Tuckertime, Liberty, Capitol Nashville, Arista. MCA, Columbia, Saguaro Road
Associated acts	LaCosta Tucker
Website	Tanya Tucker Official Site

Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958, in Seminole, Texas) is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the succeeding decades, Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood without losing her audience, and during the course of her career, she notched a streak of Top 10 and Top 40 hits.^[1] She has had several successful albums, several Country Music Association award nominations, and hit songs such as 1973's "What's Your Mama's Name?" and "Blood Red and Goin' Down," 1975's "Lizzie and the Rainman," and 1988's "Strong Enough to Bend".^[2]

Childhood before fame[link]

Tucker was the youngest of four children born to Jesse "Beau" and Juanita Tucker. Her father was a heavy equipment operator, and the family moved often as he sought better work. Tanya's early childhood was spent primarily in Willcox, Arizona, where the only radio station in town played country music. The Tuckers attended concerts of country stars such as Ernest Tubb and Mel Tillis, and Tanya's sister LaCosta was praised in the family for her vocal abilities. At the age of eight, Tanya told her father that she also wanted to be a country singer when she grew up.^[3]

When the Tuckers moved to St. George, Utah, Juanita took Tanya to audition for the film Jeremiah Johnson. Tanya did not win the bigger role she tried out for, but she was hired as a bit player. At about this time she also got one of her first musical breaks, when her father drove the family to Phoenix for the Arizona State Fair, on the chance that the featured performer, country singer Judy Lynn, could use Tanya in her show. Tanya sang for the fair's entertainment managers, and she was engaged to sing at the fair itself.^[4]

Career discovery[link]

Tucker made her debut with Mel Tillis, who was so impressed by her talent that he invited her onstage to perform. In 1969 the family moved to Las Vegas, where she regularly performed. Eventually, she recorded a demo tape that gained the attention of songwriter Dolores Fuller, who sent it to producer Billy Sherrill,^[1] the head of A&R at CBS Records. Sherrill was impressed with the demo tape and signed the teenaged vocalist to Columbia Records.^[1]

Country music career[link]

1972 – 1979: Teen country star[link]

Sherrill initially planned to have Tucker record "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA," but she passed on the tune to Donna Fargo, choosing "Delta Dawn" — a song she heard Bette Midler sing on The Tonight Show — instead. Released in the spring of 1972, the song became a hit, peaking at number six on the country charts and scraping the bottom of the pop charts. At first, Columbia Records tried to downplay Tucker's age, but soon word leaked out and she became a sensation.^[1] A year later, Australian singer Helen Reddy would score a #1 U.S. pop hit with her version of "Delta Dawn."

"I thank the lucky stars and the Good Lord for that song," Tucker told Nine-O-One Network Magazine in 1988. "If I cut it now for the first time I think it would be a hit. I was fortunate to have latched onto that one, and that was all Sherrill's doing. If it hadn't been for Sherrill, I probably would have been a rodeo queen or something."^[5]

Her second single, "Love's the Answer," also became a Top Ten hit later in 1972. Tucker's third single, "What's Your Mama's Name," became her first number one hit in the spring of 1973. Two other number ones — "Blood Red and Goin' Down" and "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)" followed, establishing Tucker as a major star.^[1]

At the time, Tucker was one of the youngest stars ever to enter Country music. However, there had been other previous teen Country stars before her, including Brenda Lee and her contemporary, Marie Osmond. LeAnn Rimes, Lila McCann, Jessica Andrews, and Taylor Swift would later have country music success at an early age as well.

In 1975, she signed with MCA Records, where she had a string of hit singles that ran into the late '70s.^[1]

Among these hits was "Lizzie and the Rainman", which became a #1 Country hit and also became Tucker's only Top 40 Pop music hit, peaking at #37. It also peaked among the Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary charts at the time. Tucker has a string of Top 10 Country hits under MCA between 1975 and 1978, including "San Antonio Stroll", "Here's Some Love", and "It's a Cowboy-Lovin Night".

In 1978, she decided to radically change her image and cross over to rock with her TNT album. Despite the controversy over the record and its sexy cover, it went gold the following year.^[1]

Two songs from the album became hits, "Texas (When I Die)" and "I'm a Singer, You're the Song." The biggest hit from the album was "Texas (When I Die)" which reached #5 on the Country charts, and also peaking in the bottom of the Pop charts at #70.

1979 – 1984: Sales decline and personal battles[link]

By the end of the '70s, her sales were declining — in 1980 she only had two hits. Also in 1980, she recorded a few singles with Glen Campbell, with whom she was romantically linked. In addition to recording, she also made her feature film debut in Hard Country.^[1]

Despite having a Top 10 hit in late 1982 from her first and only Arista album Changes, she struggled to have her music played on the radio. By mid-1983, her singles were no longer making the Top 40.

She had begun drinking in her late teens, and she explained how it started: "You send your ass out on the road doing two gigs a night and after all that adoration go back to empty hotel rooms. Loneliness got me into it." In 1978 Tucker moved to Los Angeles, California, to try, unsuccessfully, to broaden her appeal to pop audiences, and was quickly captivated by the city's nightlife. She also said that she "was the wildest thing out there. I could stay up longer, drink more and kick the biggest ass in town. I was on the ragged edge." The young woman also made gossip columns buzz with a series of romantic involvements. Her famous amours included country singer Merle Haggard (who was 21 years her senior), actor Don Johnson, the late pop singer Andy Gibb, and, most notably, country/pop star Glen Campbell, with whom she had a very stormy relationship and a minor hit duet, "Dream Lover." ^[6]

Though she moved to Nashville after her breakup with Campbell in 1982 and began to lead a more secluded life, Tucker continued to drink and use cocaine. Finally, in 1988, her family confronted her and persuaded her to enter the Betty Ford Center. At first, Tucker rebelled against her treatments, but after private counseling sessions she began to improve.^[4]

As Tucker was battling drugs and alcohol in the early 80s, her career suffered. In 1984 and 1985, she had no singles on the country charts.

1986 - 1997: Comeback[link]

In 1986 Tucker signed with Capitol Records. In 1986 she returned to the charts with "One Love at a Time," which climbed to number three.^[7] Her career was revitalized with 1986's Girls Like Me, an album that spawned four Top 10 country singles. In 1988 she had three No. 1 country singles: "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love" (with Paul Davis and Paul Overstreet), "If It Don't Come Easy" and "Strong Enough to Bend." ^[8]

Her music was now more country pop-styled and up-tempo, but this material was what made Tucker popular again. Between 1988 and 1989, Tucker enjoyed one of her most popular years on the charts, racking up eight Country Top 10 hits in a row. Her albums around this time were also achieving "Gold" certifications by the RIAA, after selling 500,000 copies. A Greatest Hits album followed in 1989, releasing a Top 5 hit to the country charts that year from the album called "My Arms Stay Open All Night," which peaked at #2.

In 1988 Tucker was nominated by the Country Music Association for "Female Vocalist of the Year", and was nominated for other major awards during this time.

Her contribution to the country music genre was rewarded when the Country Music Association voted her the "Female vocalist of the Year" in 1991, though she missed the event, having just given birth to her second child. Eight consecutive singles reached the Top 10 in the early 1990s, including "Down to My Last Teardrop," "(Without You) What Do I Do With Me" and "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane." ^[9] In 1990 Tucker was named "Female Video Artist of the Year" by CMT. Although by the 1990s she no longer had #1 hits, there were many singles that came close peaking in the Country Top 5 as well as the Top 10. Tucker was one of the most successful female Country artists at the time. She became one of the few teen stars to find success in her adult years.

Her 1993 album Greatest Hits rose to number 15, and also went to number 18 on the Top Country Albums chart. Liberty Records was changed to Capitol Nashville in 1994.^[4]

By the 1990s Tucker was a 20-year veteran in country music, even though she was only in her mid-30s. In 1994, "Hangin' On" was her last Top 5 hit, as well as her last Top 10 hit for a while. That year she performed at the half-time show at Super Bowl XXVIII. In 1996 she was one of the Top 10 most-played artists of the year, and that time Capitol Records' biggest signed female artist. In 1997 she returned to the Top 10 on the Country charts for the last time with the hit, "Little Things", which peaked at #9. That year she was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

2000 – present: Music career today[link]

In 2002 Tucker founded Tuckertime Records, allowing her to retain control of the recording process and release the singles she wished to release. The same year she issued Tanya, her first album in five years, which was distributed through Capitol Records. The album was produced by her fiancé, Jerry Laseter, and included a guest vocal by Vince Gill.^[4]

In 2002 Tucker was ranked #20 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music. In 2005 she released an album, Live at Billy Bob's Texas. In 2005 she also contributed two songs to a tribute album to Bob Wills, called A Tribute to Bob Wills 100th Anniversary. In 2005 she released a book, 100 Ways to Beat the Blues on Fireside, which included tips on shaking the blues, from some of Tucker's friends such as Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee, Little Richard, and Burt Reynolds.

Tanya recorded an album, Lonesome Town, which has been put on hold, but a live concert recorded at the Renaissance Center in December will be released. Tanya sang a duet with country music icon Billy Joe Shaver, of Shaver's song, "Played the Game Too Long," on his latest album, Everybody's Brother, that was released in September 2007.

In 2009 Tanya signed a one-time deal with Saguaro Road Records^[10] from Time-Life. Tanya's "Lonesome Town" project was put on hold to do the first cover album of her career, My Turn, which was released 30 June 2009 and placed #27 on the billboard country charts. The first single "Love's Gonna Live Here" was released to radio and was also available as a digital single. It is a remake of the classic hit by Buck Owens. The album includes classic country hits such as "Wine Me Up", "Lovesick Blues", "You Don't Know Me", "Ramblin' Fever", "Walk Through This World With Me", "Big Big Love", "Crazy Arms", "After The Fire Is Gone" and "Oh Lonesome Me".

One of Tanya Tucker's latest debuts was in a music video by "Santana Maria" called "You Have Won My Heart," which can be found on YouTube.

Outlaw image[link]

Tucker is one of the few and best-known female Country singers to be classified as an "Outlaw" in the Outlaw country movement, which was most popular in the late 70s. As Tucker matured by the end of the 70s, Tucker's outlaw image grew. Like the other Outlaw artists in the business at the time (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, Hank Williams Jr.), Tucker was able to combine qualities of Country and Rock music into her voice to make the Outlaw sound that was popular at the time. These qualities could be heard on some of her biggest hits at the time, including 1978's "Texas (When I Die)." Tucker also had a spirit of independence, which was another Outlaw quality. She ranked #9 on CMT's Dozen Greatest Outlaws, the only woman to appear on that list.

As the 80s progressed, Tucker continued to add the Outlaw qualities to her hits. At the beginning of the 90s, Tucker was still identified as an Outlaw. Today, Tucker continues to be recognized as one, regularly attending Outlaw events among regular shows. Gretchen Wilson made reference to Tucker in her 2004 hit song "Redneck Woman," and Tucker appears briefly in the video of the song, showing Tucker with other Outlaws.

Other works[link]

Tucker published a 1997 autobiography, Nickel Dreams: My Life.

Tucker starred in her own reality show, Tuckerville, on The Learning Channel in 2005. It ran for two seasons for a total of 18 episodes.^[11] The show covers an in-depth visit with Tucker in her home with her family.

Tucker continues to perform for the military doing benefits with newer country acts such as Eric Agnew and Cole Deggs & the Lonesome. She has stated in interviews that she is filming new episodes of her reality show "Tuckerville." Since Tucker has moved out of her Nashville home, the show will take place in Malibu, where she currently resides. It will be called "Tucker Time". She stated that another reason for the name change is because TLC wouldn't let them have the previous name.^[12]

Personal life[link]

Tucker has never been married. Since the late 1970s, she has had relationships with a string of fellow entertainers, including country singer Merle Haggard, actor Don Johnson and the late pop singer Andy Gibb. From 1980 to 1981 she had a relationship with country singer Glen Campbell.

Tucker later had a relationship with Ben Reed, a Hollywood actor, with whom she had daughter Presley Tanita (5 July 1989) and son Beau "Grayson" (2 October 1991).

Since the mid 1990s, Tucker has had an on-again off-again relationship with Jerry Laseter, a Nashville songwriter, performer and producer. They were engaged for the first time in 1997, and again in 1999. Just days before their 1999 wedding, Tucker cancelled the ceremony when she discovered she was pregnant with her third child, Laseter's daughter Layla LaCosta (25 June 1999), saying she did not want to walk down the aisle pregnant in her wedding dress. Laseter was co-producer of Tucker's albums in 2002 (Tanya), 2005 (Live at Billy Bob's Texas) and 2009 (My Turn).

Tucker also has three siblings: two brothers, Don and Robert (Robert died of pneumonia) and a sister, fellow country music artist LaCosta.

Awards & honors[link]

Grammy Nominations[link]

Note: In 1981 Tucker was one of the various artists featured on the album "Sesame Country" which won the Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. However this Grammy was awarded to the producers Dennis Scott and Jim Henson and not to the artists.

• Nomination for Tell Me About It shared with Delbert McClinton.
• Nomination for "Romeo" shared with Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kathy Mattea, Dolly Parton, and Pam Tillis.

Discography[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Cooper, Daniel (1998). "Tanya Tucker". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 549–50.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tanya Tucker

• Official Tanya Tucker website
• Tanya Tucker at the Internet Movie Database
• The Totally Unofficial Tanya Tucker Fan Site