Tanya Tucker Testifies and SINGS in front of Texas Senate Hearing

The State of Texas is planning to run transmission lines through the property owned by country music legend and Texas native Tanya Tucker, and she’s having none of it. She first spoke out about the proposed 765 KV transmission lines that would run across numerous pieces of property and potentially hurt wildlife and other natural resources on July 21st on social media. Then on Wednesday (7-29), Tanya Tucker testified in front of the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce about the matter, and even sang them a song.

Tanya Tucker was born in Seminole, Texas in the southern part of the Panhandle. Now she owns a ranch in Burnett County close to Briggs, which is about an hour north of Austin. “That little ranch is our little piece of Texas heaven, with out horses and our animals, and the prettiest sunsets I’ve ever seen … I even shot my last album cover there. I was so proud,” Tanya told the committee after traveling from Nashville where she’s currently shooting a movie.

Tanya started off very jovial and cordial. But when it got down to the nitty gritty, she pulled no punches.“I’m sad,” Tucker said.“But I’m mad. And I’m very disappointed in how this has been handled. This isn’t the way we do things in Texas, you don’t rush in and turn someone’s life upside down.”

Tucker went on to say, “I want to be the voice for all the people who can’t be here today whose lives will be severely affected by these transmission lines. Some weren’t even notified, some can’t afford to hire attorneys to represent them, and I want to speak for those people too … Before you disrupt so many lives, I just ask that you take a longer look at the other options. Because I love Texas so much and I want Texas to have a stronger power grid.”

But perhaps one of the most compelling and persuasive parts of Tanya’s testimony is how she seemed to put a positive spin on the entire situation, disarming the tense nature of the proceedings by making the issue about a shared love for Texas. She started off by saying, “I’m not here to sing. I’m here to talk to you heart to heart, Texan to Texan.” But concluded by saying, “I’ve got to take one thing back, y’all. Just one thing. I am going to sing.”

Tucker then launched into an a capella version of her 1978 hit “Texas (When I Die).”

Tanya Tucker has spent her entire life having to navigate a world of powerful men who didn’t always have her best interests in mind, and tried to exploit what was hers. She was just 13 years old when she had her first hit with “Delta Dawn.” But as she displayed, a disarming smile, giggle, and charm sometimes goes a longer way than a sneer. We’ll have to see if it works this time for Tanya and the other Texas landowners that look to be affected by the proposed transmission lines.

But it’s sure hard to hate on Tanya Tucker, or to tell her “no.”

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