The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile Movie Review

“The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile” is a heckuva title for a documentary. But right at first, you can tell it is about Tanya Tucker. Tucker has been ‘gone’, but now she has returned. But it will also feature Brandi Carlile. So there is a lot you can tell from a movie title. But now to unpack the various details found so far, and see what it all means…

Tanya Tucker is a country music star who got her start in 1972. Tucker came on really strong, and was in the midst of a fabulous career. However, she fell back out of the limelight for the past twenty years or so. Brandi Carlile is a more contemporary country singer and songwriter with a rising career over the past twenty years or so.  Brandi was a total fan of Tanya Tucker, and wanted to see if she was interesting in doing something together.

Tanya had a huge start in 1972 with the song “Delta Dawn”. She recorded that when she was 13 years old. With the support of her parents, especially her father, she became a country singer superstar. She was friendly with the like of Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. Tanya loved the live that she had and leaned into the “Outlaw Country” image. That was big with popular artists such as Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Hank Williams.

Tanya had not recorded any songs or thought about performing for quite a few years. Brandi Carlile made it her goal to give Tanya a reason to take a chance to make another album. She got many of the best studio musicians (such as Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth) involved, along with Shooter Jennings. Shooter happens to be the son of Waylon Jennings. Tanya Tucker was finally convinced to meet them all and see what could happen.

They all took time to meet and make some music in a studio located in Los Angeles. Brandi was awestruck at meeting her own favorite country star. Tanya had prior bouts of depression, and was involved with drugs. But now she now was in a much better place, and she wanted to do something that would give the world a new impression of her. Tanya had many fans, and she had a great legacy already. But is no reason to not get back up and try it one more time.

Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile worked with the Hanseroth twins and with Shooter Jennings. They created an album for Tanya Tucker, released in 2019. This was first original material since 2002, a gap of seventeen years. Tanya has had a life of some hard living, including smoking, drinking, and (years ago) drugs. But this has given her voice a bit more edge and maturity, along with her classic Country style.

The album was called “While  I’m Livin'” — which is a pretty good reminder to the country fans and audiences in general that Tanya Tucker was still around. Brandi Carlile knew that Tucker had never really been gone, but that she was considered a “faded rose from days gone by”. The country music scene was much different than what it was back in 1972. But people still know how to recognize quality music, in the songs, in the production, and in the singing.

The new album, and one of the singles from the album, turned out to be nominated for Grammy contention in the Country genre. Tanya Tucker had previously gotten nominations in the past. That went back to her very beginning, with a nomination for “Delta Dawn”. But Tanya had never won for anything in the past. But like they say, it’s an honor just to be nominated…

But maybe this time it will be different. Tanya Tucker, along with the support and encouragement of Brandi Carlile, had taken Tucker’s stories and her life’s work and put it to an album and a song (“Bring My Flowers Now”).  This time, the charm was back into the rose.

Tanya Tucker began doing small tours, with enthralled audiences. She is still working on new material, and she is planning on working again with her new friends. Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings will be part of Tucker’s ongoing collaborations. The studio doors are open again for Tanya, and she is ready to resume her place in the heart of country fans…

“The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile” is a definite ‘go and see movie’ for Country music fans, and for general music fans as well. It tells a well-trod story of time being the enemy of fame. Tucker’s star rose high and it shone brightly in the Country universe. But fifty years or so, the public has moved on to other things. It seems that Tanya Tucker just needed a little push.

That push came from Brandi Carlile, who is as big a fan as can be. She knew that Tanya Tucker had many more songs and albums to go. She helped to drag Tanya back to the arena, and helped her up and back onto the horse. Just like at a country rodeo, Tanya took to the center stage and did not want to look back. Like a fancy rider at the rodeo, Tanya Tucker is still playing for the crowds – and for her biggest fan, Brandi.