Tanya Tucker has been a country star for nearly her entire life! Beginning performing as a teen in the 1970s, Tanya, 65, rose to success in the music business, and she’s one of the most celebrated country artists of all time. She’s one Grammy Awards, ACMS, and CMA Awards. On Wednesday, November 8, she’ll take the stage at the 2023 CMA Awards and perform her classic tune “Delta Dawn” with country outfit Little Big Town.
As she’s spent so much of her life in the spotlight, Tanya’s love life has also drawn public interest. While she’s never been married, she has had plenty of high-profile relationships throughout her career. Take a look at some of her past relationships here.
Craig Dillingham
Tanya’s most recent romance began in January 2020. The “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane” singer-songwriter revealed that she met Craig Dillingham when they were both rising teen stars at a Forth Worth radio station, in an interview with People. While their relationship didn’t begin until 48 years later, she revealed that she was head over heels for him. “If it ain’t him, I’m done,” she told the magazine. “He gets me.”
Engagement to Jerry Laseter
While she hasn’t ever been married, the closest Tanya has seemingly ever come was during her on-and-off relationship with Jerry Laseter. Jerry is a musician, who has produced albums for Tanya throughout the aughts. The pair got engaged in 1997, and they were prepared to exchange vows in 1999, but days before the ceremony, she found out that she was pregnant with her third daughter, Layla, and called it off, per Woman’s World.
Despite their relationship, things appear to have gone south for the pair. In 2005, Tanya applied for an order of protection against her ex, claiming that he harassed and assaulted her, but he denied the allegations, per AL.com. He was also accused of stealing Tanya’s clothes in 2007.
Romance With Ben Reed
While she never got engaged Ben Reed, Tanya did date the actor and producer for a number of years. Despite not popping the question, the singer did have her older children Presley and Beau “Grayson” with the American Sniper actor in 1989 and 1991, respectively.
Engagement to Glen Campbell
Perhaps Tanya’s most famous relationship was with fellow country singer Glen Campbell. She was just 22 when they started dating, and Glen was 44. The two of them regularly made headlines throughout their relationship, and they made lots of music together, including the song “Dream Lover.” She was briefly engaged to the “Rhinestone Cowboy” star, but the pair ended up splitting up shortly after.
After Glen’s death in 2017, Tanya released the song “Forever Loving You” in tribute to him. She also opened up about feeling strongly about their relationship. “I was really hoping that I could go and at least say one last goodbye to him,” she told Inside Edition. “I never stopped loving him. The love was the strongest love in the world.”
Merle Haggard
Tanya had a brief romance with fellow country icon Merle Haggard. While their relationship didn’t work out, the two remained friends until the end of the “Mama Tried” singer’s life in 2016. After Merle’s passing, Tanya paid tribute to him and all their good times together in a statement, per The Associated Press. “We played a lot of gigs together through the years, but some of my fondest memories were hanging out in a natural setting, like the time we sat there by the river in his backyard and ate bologna sandwiches. Merle was a simple man with incredible talent like no other,” she said.
Other romances
Tanya has been connected to a few other big named stars through the years, including Don Johnson and Andy Gibb. Early in her career, she also reportedly had one more engagement to a rodeo cowboy, but it didn’t go through. In the above-mentioned People interview, Tanya opened up about why she hasn’t gotten married despite her many romances. “I have nothing against marriage,” she said. “It’s the opposite. I think it’s very sacred, and I don’t want to do it but one time.”