Just days after the news broke that 73-year-old country music songwriter and actor Alex Harvey had died, the woman who took his early-70s song “Delta Dawn” to the top of the country charts has broken her silence.
Tanya Tucker, who was just 13 years old when she recorded “Delta Dawn,” took to social media to express her deep grief and endless gratitude for the career-making hit that came from Harvey.
Alex Harvey first found success in songwriting with the pop and country hit “Reuben James” which was recorded and released by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition.
Then, after moving to LA, Harvey penned “Delta Dawn” with songwriting partner Larry Collins and quickly became a wildfire hit with teenage Tanya Tucker at the microphone. Later, many other artists recorded their own versions of the song, including Waylon Jennings, Helen Reddy, Bette Midler, Loretta Lynn, The Statler Brothers, and more.
In her post honoring Harvey and his incredible contributions to the music industry, Tanya Tucker says that she’s “indebted” to him for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to record such a beautiful song.
“I don’t guess I’ve given a lot of thought to what my life would have been without the great song ‘Delta Dawn,’ but this morning I started thinking about it a lot with the passing of songwriter, Alex Harvey,” Tucker penned alongside an image of the songwriter.
“Delta Dawn” became a Top10 hit for Tucker and later, a No. 1 hit for Helen Reddy just a year later.
“The song started everything off for me and has kept me going ever since. Even though my record was released in March of 1972, the song is still just as great 48 years later!”
“I am so sad today with tears flowing. I thank God for him, his song, my life, my career, my fans – as I find myself grateful and thankful knowing my life would have been so different without the iconic “Delta Dawn” and her creator, Alex Harvey, I know Alex was a man of God, and today he got his wings to that mansion in the sky!”
“Thank you Alex… I am indebted. I’ll meet you there someday, when it’s my time to fly!”
See Tanya Tucker’s full post below along with one of her best performances of “Delta Dawn.”
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