Delta Dawn

"Delta Dawn" was the title song from Tanya Tucker's first album, and subsequently popularized by Australian singer Helen Reddy, whose rendition was the seventh-highest selling single for the year 1973, and hit #1 the weeks of September 15 and September 22. It was written by former child rockabilly star Larry Collins.

Related Topics:
Tanya Tucker - Australian - Helen Reddy - 1973 - September 15 - September 22 - Rockabilly - Larry Collins

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The song is about a woman from Brownsville who is hinted at being mentally unstable. One of the sets of lyrics to evidence this is, "She's 41 and Daddy still calls her "baby" / All the folks 'round Brownsville say she's crazy." The song tells the story of the woman meeting Jesus (the "mysterious dark-haired man"), dying, and going to Heaven (the "mansion in the sky").

Related Topics:
Brownsville - Mentally unstable - Jesus - Heaven

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Originally a song performed by Bette Midler for one of her early LPs (Midler had heard the song in Nashville, memorized it, and performed it three times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson), the song was released by Reddy a mere two days before Midler, and the song was then moved to the B-side of Midler's release, and was never spoken of again. http://www.superseventies.com/1973_7singles.html

Related Topics:
Bette Midler - Nashville - The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

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Barbra Streisand was also asked to sing the song, but did not like the tune and refused to provide vocals. It was at this time that Reddy was approached to follow up with "Delta Dawn" after her widely popular 1972 single "I Am Woman." "Delta Dawn" sold over a million copies upon its first release.

Related Topics:
Barbra Streisand - 1972 - I Am Woman

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Although the song has a Southern gospel feel (as evidenced by the song's introduction by a choir, as well as the lyrics providing the setting of the song in the Deep South), Reddy is from Australia, and trained her voice accordingly to mask her accent.

Related Topics:
Southern - Gospel - Choir - Deep South - Australia

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