By Melissa Wagoner
Right about the time Lexi Tucker was learning to talk, she was also learning to sing. Raised on a farm near Stayton, it didn’t take long before Tucker’s mom noticed her daughter’s talent and enrolled her in voice lessons.
“I always took the chance to sing in talent shows,” Tucker said, recalling that, even when the family moved to Silverton her sophomore year, she continued her music education, first by joining the choir, and later by teaching herself to play the guitar and write songs.
“I basically was only allowed to listen to country music,” she said of her early influences, “my parents didn’t approve much of popular music…I grew up on all the good ’90s country, primarily Shania Twain and LeAnn Rimes who were my main musical idols as a kid. I still sing their songs to this day.”
The difference is that now she sings those songs – and her own as well – from a stage in Nashville, Tennessee, where she moved in 2019.
“I absolutely fell in love with the town’s energy,” she said. “It’s almost indescribable until you visit yourself. I’ve always been the spontaneous and adventurous type… I just knew I was supposed to be there.”
But Oregon still has a place in her heart.
“I come back very often, as it is way too hard to be away from family, friends, and [my horse, Chief,] for more than a couple months,” Tucker said. “I spend most of my summers in Oregon. As much as I love Nashville, it doesn’t have the beauty that Oregon and our small towns do. I love hiking, camping, anything outdoors… I also just love the small-town support and community, it’s so fun coming home to perform shows during the summer.”
Inspired by her family’s farm on the outskirts of Silverton this past fall, Tucker even spontaneously shot her first music video, Bounty, with Salem’s wildlife videographer, Chris Fischer. Released to the public in December, the video has already gotten over 300,000 views on YouTube and has been featured on Country Music Television.
“We are currently finishing the next one for my latest single Did It Anyway and I am super excited about this one too,” Tucker said. “I am also now playing weekly on Broadway, twice a week at Alan Jackson’s bar, playing writer’s rounds and full band showcases.”
While it’s a dream come true, Tucker still has room for a few more.
“I would love to land a publishing deal and play throughout the states and hopefully get some songs cut by bigger artists,” she said. “I’m undecided if I want a record deal, but if the right one came along, I would be all for it. I just know I want to feel like I gave myself and my music my best shot during this next year and see what happens in the years to come…”
You can find Tucker’s music on all streaming platforms and her videos can be seen on both YouTube and Instagram.
