Dara Tucker

Biography

Dara Starr Tucker was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the third of seven children to Doyle Tucker, a music minister and gospel recording artist, and Lynda Tucker, also a singer. From age 4, she sang harmonies with her siblings in the family group 'The Tuckers,' traveling across the U.S., including stops in Spokane, Washington, and Detroit, Michigan, while she began playing piano at age 8. Her musical journey expanded internationally when she lived in Interlaken, Switzerland, in 2003, where she started songwriting, before moving to Nashville in 2004 to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. She later resided in New York City and now bases in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1][2][4]

Tucker's career launched with her debut album All Right Now in 2009, featuring classic American songs, followed by Soul Said Yes in 2011, blending R&B, jazz, and gospel with guitarist Charlie Hunter, which ranked in Amazon's top 10 R&B albums. Her 2014 release The Sun Season, recorded in New York with musicians like Peter Bernstein and Helen Sung, saw her write ten of twelve tracks and chart at #62 on JazzWeek. The deeply personal Oklahoma Rain (2017) reflected her parents' passing in 2014, winning Jazz Album of the Year and featuring the Song of the Year 'Radio' at the Nashville Industry Music Awards; subsequent albums include Dreams of Waking: Music For A Better World (2021, #7 JazzWeek) and Time Wouldn’t Wait (recent, with players like Larry Goldings and Vicente Archer). Her style fuses vocal jazz, soul, gospel, and Broadway with original compositions and covers from Stevie Wonder to Billie Eilish, often addressing social justice, love, loss, and healing.[1][2][3]

Tucker has earned accolades like Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2016-2017 Nashville Awards), silver medal and Ben Tucker Jazz Award at the 2017 American Traditions Competition, and Johnny Mercer Award (2018). She has performed globally since 2009, opening for Gregory Porter and Vince Gill, appearing on NPR's Jazz Night in America and PBS's Tavis Smiley Show, and co-writing with Keb' Mo' for his GRAMMY-winning Oklahoma (2020 title track).[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• Tucker co-wrote the title track for Keb' Mo's GRAMMY-winning Best Americana Album Oklahoma in 2020.
• Her family group 'The Tuckers' was known for beautiful harmonies and traveled nationwide during her childhood.
• She began songwriting while living in Switzerland in 2003 and won awards requiring performance in nine different music styles.
• Tucker's 2011 album Soul Said Yes cracked Amazon's top 10 R&B albums despite its jazz-gospel blend.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Dee Dee Bridgewater - Alumna of The Woodshed Network founded by the NEA Jazz Master (Professional development program) [2010s]

Key Collaborators

• Charlie Hunter - Renowned hybrid guitarist, toured with and featured on album (Soul Said Yes (2011)) [2011-present]
• Keb' Mo' - Blues/Americana artist, co-wrote title track (Oklahoma (GRAMMY-winning album)) [2019-2020]
• Gregory Porter - Opened for the Grammy-winning vocalist (Live performances) [2016]
• Vicente Archer - Bassist on multiple albums (Dreams of Waking, Time Wouldn’t Wait) [2021-present]
• Cyrus Chestnut - Pianist featured on album (Dreams of Waking: Music For A Better World (arrangement of 'Someday We’ll All Be Free')) [2021]
• Greg Bryant - Producer (Time Wouldn’t Wait) [recent]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz