Nickel Dreams - Hardcover

Tucker, Tanya

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786863056 ISBN 13: 9780786863051

Publisher: Hyperion, 1997

Synopsis

In a candid, no-holds-barred memoir, Tanya Tucker details her life as a country music superstar, from her reputation as a party girl to her romances with Glen Campbell and Merle Haggard to her battles with substance abuse.

About this title

Review:

Embarking upon her singing career at the tender age of 11, Tanya Tucker grew up fast and hard and wild. She seemed destined for either the highest fame or the worst destruction--maybe even both. From the big time to rock bottom and back again, her life reads like a blueprint for one of the melancholy songs that made her a star in country music, and her revealing memoir, Nickel Dreams: My Life, leaves out little of the nitty-gritty. With the aid of author and friend Patsi Bale Cox, Tucker writes honestly about her many exploits that became tabloid fodder--a fiery public affair with Glen Campbell and a long battle with alcoholism among them--without glossing over them or apologizing. There are plenty of anecdotes and revelations about her music as well, plus a peek at the backrooms of the music business and the shady dealings that occur there. Close attention is paid to her childhood and the overbearing presence of a father/manager who wanted his daughter to be a grown woman and a little girl at the same time.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Country legend Tanya Tucker tells her tumultuous life story with warmth and modesty. Tucker (born in 1958) lived fast and hard, only settling down in recent years. When she recorded her first hit, ``Delta Dawn,'' the confident 13-year-old introduced herself to her stellar backup band by saying, ``I know my part, boys. Do you know yours?'' She inherited this bravura from her father, who pushed his way through music industry doors on behalf of Tucker. He is omnipresent in the book, sometimes dominating his daughter's professional and personal life, managing her career, and at one point arranging an intervention of family and friends to convince Tucker to check into the Betty Ford clinic. Tucker defends her father throughout, giving him most of the credit for her success. Professionally, the book charts Tucker's growth from a naive young singer to the mature performer and songwriter she has become. Tucker's life has provided much grist for the tabloids over the years, and readers will likely find her version of these notorious episodes compelling. She had a rocky affair with fellow country singer Glen Campbell, with whom she often took drugs. During one argument, he knocked out her two front teeth with his elbow. When Campbell announced that his wife was pregnant and that he wouldn't leave her, Tucker ran off with Merle Haggard. Tucker has two children, both born out of wedlock, and she kept the father's identity secret--even from the father-- for some time. Tucker's hard-living and frequent excesses ensure that there are no dull moments in her story. But readers will come to like the singer well enough to wish her less interesting times. (16 pages color photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0786863056
• ISBN 13: 9780786863051
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384