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LL: When did you know that you could sing?

TT: I believe I knew I could sing when I was six years old. I actually sang my first solo at age 8 after
hearing the voice of Mahalia Jackson's blasting through my radio, my only Christmas gift. I was
around 8 years old when I plugged that radio up and heard this big contralto voice coming through
the radio and I knew then I wanted to sing like Mahalia Jackson. At age 10, I sang my first solo
‘Gonna Lay Down My Burdens, Down By The Riverside’ in church to my first largest crowd of

around two hundred plus.

From then on, I sang in the church choir and many solos. As a teen, I was a lead singer in the
church gospel choir until I was in my early twenties when I started singing Top 40 at wedding re-
ceptions, special and private events.

LL: You have an impressive command of your vocal instrument and of your musicality. You
can go from mean growling notes, to clean strong notes, and then to a clear falsetto. How did
you learn that?

TT: As a young girl I was not real sure of my own vocal style until after I learned to trust my inner

gut, my own feel and my own soul. I had to learn to trust my feel, and be somewhat, but not be
solely or heavily influenced by vocalists that I admired. I do feel that I discovered my own feel by
practice, trial and error. I also believe that singing in the church choir contributed a major influ-
ence to my vocal style. In church you sing with a growl demanding the devil to flee, or with a soft
pitch seeking the spirit of the Lord, and
then a clear falsetto from your head voice

when they needed me to sing in the so-
prano section when someone didn't show
up. I do feel I never sing the same song the
same way no matter how many times I sing
it, because I sing based on what I am feel-
ing at the time. I loved listening to soul,

gospel, and R&B; the rhythm I believe I
was innately drawn to. When I sing a song,
I tried to tell a story like I would read a
poem or paint a picture. I like to use col-
our, technique, and style when I sing a
song. If I can’t feel it, then it wouldn't be

attractive to anyone else.

LL: What did your father teach you about
Tommy Tucker songwriting and performing?

TT: Ironically, my father passed away un-
expectedly at the young age of 48 on my
21st birthday in 1982. I clearly remember on one of his visits with me in Ohio when I was 14 years,
asking him to hear a recording of me with my gospel choir under the direction of the famous hymn

writer, Doris Akers. Ms. Akers auditioned a few of the young choir members to sing her songs that
was produced on a 78 rpm. I sang and recorded her composition "Meet Me In Heaven" at age 14. My
father heard it and he was in awe that his daughter could sing like that. That is how I came up with
the song "Daughter To The Blues". I've always loved writing poetry so when I wrote my first songs