Tanya Tucker celebrates 50 years of 'Delta Dawn,' country music history, at the Ryman

Five decades of country music magic were feted at the Ryman Auditorium on Sunday as Tanya Tucker (and an incredible stream of iconic friends) celebrated the 50th anniversary of her 1972 country chart-topper "Delta Dawn."

Had you entered country music's "Mother Church" and closed your eyes, you'd have sworn it was 1972, 1982 or 1992 when 63-year old, Grammy-winning country music superstar Tucker was unapologetically carving bold new territory for artists in the genre.

However, upon opening your eyes, you'd note that it was 2022, and Tucker was captivatingly entertaining as she rasped, growled, crooned and swooned her way through her legendary catalog. In a two-plus hour marathon show, she proved her honest, fun and unrepressed style of entertainment makes her timelessly essential to country music.

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Moreover, Tucker's presence is as key to the genre as everything from Jerry Lee Lewis' honky-tonk piano stylings, LeAnn Rimes' torch songs, and Brandi Carlilie's raw and refined crafting as a songwriter.

"Country music, and its songs and songwriters, are a part of my DNA," Tucker said before welcoming Brenda Lee onstage to sing her 1958 hit "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." Though it may seem odd to be honoring winter holidays at the onset of spring, Lee was followed onstage by Tucker's longtime friend and Grand Ole Opry favorite Jeannie Seely. Then, out walked the previously mentioned Rimes to duet with Tucker on her 1987 hit ballad "Love Me Like You Used To."

Rimes' appearance was among many show-stopping surprise moments. It also highlighted that Tucker is well aware that she's been performing half as long as country music has existed as a musical genre. And as one of the genre's brightest stars, she saw her duty at the event to not just celebrate herself but also those who fostered and elevated her career and legacy.

Notable, too, was the extended time spent behind the piano by Memphis native Jason D. Williams. Tucker's affinity for the more exuberant aspects of all things country was apparent this evening. Tucker did not sing with Williams but instead had the silver zebra-print jacket and gold cheetah-print vest-wearing pianist play songs that included Jerry Lee Lewis' (Tucker acknowledged him as the rock godfather's son, something Lewis has acknowledged publicly) 1958-released "Great Balls of Fire."

This concert also served as a simultaneous stroll through the Rock and Roll, Country Music and Songwriters Hall of Fame of sorts. Because of the deluge of hit-makers, a party atmosphere emerged. All of he Ryman's sold-out attendees were on their feet for the event's duration.

In an homage to her proud Texas roots, she called beloved blues singer Delbert McClinton onstage to sing their 1992 duet "Tell Me About It." This was followed by Tucker announcing that she's working on her 26th studio album with Waylon Jennings' son Shooter and Carllile. She then brought Shooter's mother and Jennings' wife, Jessie Colter, onstage.

As if that weren't enough, she began to banter about how much she loved songwriters ("they're the best, it's so important to appreciate the people who do such creative work") and introduced Sonny Throckmorton.

Throckmorton was unknown to most of the crowd in attendance. However, the inclusion of a Nashville Songwriting Hall of Famer who has had over 1,000 of his songs recorded shows just who Tucker is, still, to this day.

As acclaimed as she is as an artist, she's also still a fan of the process and the magic of how Nashville works daily. So such humble moments like these, while having a bright spotlight on her at one of the most notable center stages in the world, struck a special note.

Tucker also offered a spotlight to her daughter -- and aspiring country artist -- Layla Tucker. Ever the demanding, doting mother, watching her cede the stage to her daughter to perform Merle Haggard's 1980 hit "The Way I Am" (written by Throckmorton, who watched from stage right) revealed yet another layer to the "Texas (When I Die)" singer. She's a mother of four who has lived an incredible life and now gets to see all four of her children alive, well, and thriving.

Tucker acknowledging her appreciation of Carlile was a continuous theme throughout the concert. No fewer than four times did she mention the Americana and Grammy Award-winner. However, the most poignant came before she performed a touching, acoustic version of her 2020 Grammy Award-winning Best Country Song, "Bring My Flowers Now."

Tucker's "Bring My Flowers Now" adds the arc of timelessness to her career in a sense, freezing her forever in her prime. This isn't a 60-plus-year-old woman demanding respect. Instead, someone says they will refuse to fade away until they receive their long-overdue unassailable praise.

Before closing the show with a version of "Delta Dawn" accompanied by her seven-piece band (including her daughter Presley as a backing vocalist), the 25-person Nashville in Harmony Choir (notably, the chorus welcomes people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and their allies) and a dozen special guests, Tucker highlighted how the song came to be.

When she was just 9, Tucker's father took her on her first trip to Nashville. Four years later, she recorded Delta Dawn alongside Country Music Hall of Fame-inducted session musicians like Charlie McCoy (present, onstage), the recently deceased Hargus "Pig" Robbins and Billy Sanford, joined by backup vocalists the Jordanaires, plus producer Billy Sherrill in the studio.

"Billy [Sherrill] was a little left of center, so I wasn't sure about singing it, but I'm glad I did," said Tucker.

Tanya Tucker achieved five No. 1 country radio singles in her first three years as an artist. By the time she was 21, she had six top-ten albums and 12 top-ten singles. The year she turned 30, she returned to the top of country music's radio airplay charts. At the age of 40, she was still a top-ten artist.

Though she was so incredibly successful, Tanya Tucker was not brought her metaphorical flowers at the peak of her success.

However, now, she's timeless. In an evening celebrating "Delta Dawn," and so much more, the Ryman's heart was in them flowers, and they brought 'em on.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tanya Tucker celebrates 50 years of 'Delta Dawn' at the Ryman