Tanya Tucker Defends Britney Spears

Nashville, TN (Top40 Charts/ Capitol Records) - 'Privacy is priceless at this time. The media should leave Britney alone and let her spend some quality time with her family, children and those that truly love her. BUT they can't keep beating her up with the �you-gotta straighten up' stick,' says one of country music's leading ladies Tanya Tucker!

With all the controversy surrounding Britney Spears' behavior recently, media has been on its toes waiting for her next erratic move. Tanya Tucker is familiar with the rollercoaster lifestyle and has lived to tell about it.

By the age of 13, Tanya had become the hottest performer in country music. Just one year later she had won 'Best New Female Artist' by the Country Music Association. From here, her stardom took on a life of its own and she became accustomed to the sexier, wild side of life at an early age.

In 1973 Tanya was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine with the headline reading, 'HI, I'M TANYA TUCKER, I'M 15, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM ME.' And hear from her we did. She became known as the 'Bad Girl of Country Music' which she proudly admits was appropriate at the time. 'It just meant I like to have fun and get crazy every now and then,' Tanya states. By her early twenties, just when Tanya had the world in the palm of her hands, she became involved in a love affair with another celebrity twice her age (Glen Campbell) and was living a life filled with drugs and alcohol.

Years later, with 3 children in her life, over 10 million albums sold and a rehabilitation stint of her own, Tanya is a different woman. 'In time Britney will learn that all those friends that were always around and living off of her stardom, were never really friends at all. When I lived in Los Angeles in the 80's I had a ton of so-called friends that today are no where around. Some are dead, and to be honest, I can't remember any of their names.'

As quoted in the New York Post on February 21st, Tanya commented about the stress often associated with singing for a living, 'Going through rehab, you sit there and hear about other people and their life stories, how unhappy they felt. Hey, I just wanted to have a good time.'

Tanya's final thought on Britney, 'Right now she needs something different than what money, fame or fans can give her. She needs gentle guidance from only those who she respects and knows they really love her for HER!!'