Tanya Tucker Wins First Grammys, 47 Years After First Nomination

By Michele Amabile Angermiller

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Country music legend Tanya Tucker picked up her first two wins at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The 61-year-old singer won for best country song for “Bring My Flowers Now” and best country album for “While I’m Livin’.”

“After 50 years in this business, I have a few firsts left,” said Tucker in a speech. “I can’t believe it.”

Tucker took the first win alongside co-writer , who said sharing the Grammy with Tucker is a “great honor of my life.”

“No matter how old you are, never stop following your dreams,” said Tucker.

Tucker was first nominated for a Grammy in 1973 for her breakout hit “Delta Dawn.” Prior to this year, she’d been nominated 10 times, but hadn’t won an award. Her last nominations came in 1994. “While I’m Livin’,” which generated three nominations in all this year, was her first album of new studio material in 19 years.

Carlile said she had asked Tucker why she stopped, and Tucker said that it was because she was grieving the death of her parents, and “couldn’t do it anymore.”

Tucker felt their spirits on Sunday as she called up , who co-produced her album with Carlile, to the stage for her second award, saying “Your daddy is up there with mine, and they are really proud of us right now.” (Jennings is the son of another country legend, the late Waylon Jennings.)

Tucker then told a charming story about how she had called Jennings from a tree stump in her yard with poor cell service, saying that she didn’t feel she could do the album.

“I did it for Shooter,” she said.

For Carlisle, these two wins she shared with Tucker put her Grammy total up to four, after the two she won as a solo artist last year. The country song win is shared by Tucker and Carlile with Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Carlile’s longtime bandmates and co-writers.

Tucker did get beaten out in one of the four categories she was up in, best country solo performance, by an even far more veteran performer, Willie Nelson, whose “Ride Me Back Home” song prevailed.

Their evening isn’t over yet. Tucker and Carlile are also nominated in one of the top all-genre categories, song of the year, which will be presented during the telecast.