Music Row Pays Tribute To Loretta Lynn

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Loretta Lynn. Photo: Russ Harrington

Members of the country music family are remembering country legend Loretta Lynn, who passed away Tuesday morning (Oct. 4). Many artists and industry members have paid tribute to and shared memories of the renowned “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Over her 60-year career, the Kentucky native was continuously honored for her immense impact on creators of various genres. Lynn accumulated an amazing 51 Top 10 hits, sold over 45 million albums worldwide, and earned every honor available in the music world. Lynn won four Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards as well as eight CMA awards. She joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1962. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988, and and was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003. She was then welcomed into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008, and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Along the way, Lynn broke down barriers for women everywhere with songs such as “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Fist City,” and “The Pill.” She was the first woman to win the CMA and ACM Awards for Entertainer of the Year.

 

 

“So sorry to hear about my sister, friend Loretta. We’ve been like sisters all the years we’ve been in Nashville and she was a wonderful human being, wonderful talent, had millions of fans and I’m one of them. I miss her dearly as we all will. May she rest in peace.” – Dolly Parton 

“My roots in country music run deep because of may love an admiration for ‘Ms Loretta.’ She was there in the ’80s, when I arrived in Nashville, to encourage me and allow me to open for her on tour… and, she was there to open for me, in Aurora, Illinois, in 2013, which unknowingly was my last public concert before my stroke. The years in between are each gifts wrapped in respect, admiration, awe and love — and we shopped for lots of dresses through those years! Whenever I heard ‘my Randy,’ I knew Loretta was near and her kind, sweet kisses left lipstick memories on my forehead and both cheeks.  I wish I could have bottled those kisses and saved them for a day like today, when I learned of her passing. An emptiness came over me as I reflected on the magnitude of Ms Loretta’s presence—in the heart and soul of country music, and the entire world–and the void now created. If your path ever crossed with hers, you immediately felt her magic. Loretta and Doolittle ‘Doo’ represented a legacy marriage with six beautiful children as proof… and, a lot of us that Ms. Loretta took under her wing. I thank God that my career overlapped with The Queen’s—it’s an honor and a privilege. After 90 years of teaching us how to live and love here on earth, we sing her home to heaven, with grateful hearts. Our thoughts and prayers follow the precious Lynn family down this road of loss and transition—thank you for sharing Ms Loretta with us. We will never have another Loretta Lynn…this world isn’t good enough for two of her.” – Randy Travis

 

 

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“There are simply no words to adequately describe my feelings at this loss. She was the Matriarch of our Opry Family the past several years and even though she could not be there in person, she was very much in that building, in our hearts and on our minds. She was very welcoming to me when I came, asking me to sit down beside her and tell her about me. I was thrilled then and it still thrills me to think she was interested. In the end she just patted my knee and said “Don’t ever change”. Her impact on our industry through her songs was huge. She made everyone aware, starkly at times, of the plight of some women’s lives, and that awareness brought about changes. Of course, I will always remember her sense of humor! She would ask me to tell her a joke and then say “Tell Doo so he can explain it to me”! She will always be one of country music’s greatest gifts to the world.” – Jeannie Seely

“I have lost one of my dearest friends and the world has lost a true treasure.” – Brenda Lee 

“Loretta was a good friend and fantastically talented. She was a great writer, singer, and human being. I’ll miss her a lot.” – Willie Nelson

 

 

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“Today, my world changed, and it will never be the same again. My hero got her wings last night, and it’s been a day filled with tears. Many memories, so much gratitude and thanking my God above for blessing me first with her music and her guidance through the perils of the music world way before we ever met. I looked up to Loretta always. Then when we became friends, she brought me flowers always, and I brought flowers to her. Time has let me share many special moments with her, but now time has taken her from me forever! But she’s left me with so much to remember and cling on to. I thank God above that I got to sing with her on her latest record. I’ve been waiting a long time for that to come to pass. I was busy planning a much-needed trip to Mexico when I got the news, but for now, Mexico will have to wait because my childhood hero Loretta Lynn has caught the train and she’s ‘On Her Way to Heaven.’ Mexico will always be there, but my friend has gone on to glory. I will see her there someday! I miss you so Retti! I think you know how I feel! Your girl always.” – Tanya Tucker

“It is not enough to say today that country music has lost Loretta Lynn, but rather the world has lost a true music legend. Loretta was a woman whose contributions and impact inspired countless artists and transformed the Country genre into a universal art form. She was a Country Music Hall of Fame member and the first woman to receive a CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year. As a trailblazing songwriter, she bravely wrote about socially and culturally relevant topics that came to define a generation. I’ll personally remember Loretta for her spirit, artistry and genius that rivaled contemporaries like Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.” – Sarah Trahern, CEO, Country Music Association 

 

 

“The world has lost a treasured icon, and I have lost a friend of more than sixty years. I have so many wonderful memories of touring with Loretta, sharing stages all over the world, laughing together and admiring her strength and tenacity. She was one of a kind as a singer, songwriter, and human being. We are all better off for her having walked among us.” – Bill Anderson 

 

 

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“There simply is not another female artist whose songwriting and artistry have blazed more of a trail or had more impact on the country music industry – and the world – than Loretta Lynn,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “The true ‘Queen of Country’ had a massive impact on the history and legacy of the Academy, earning 14 ACM Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1975, making her the first female to win that coveted trophy. She was also honored with the ACM Artist of the Decade Award for her fearless and legendary work in the 1970s, again the first and only female to achieve that. I was personally honored to work with her family last year for ACM Honors when we celebrated Loretta’s groundbreaking contributions as a songwriter by honoring her with the ACM Poet’s Award. While we all feel the deep loss of an icon, Loretta’s spirit will continue to guide today’s artists and songwriters for decades to come.” – Damon Whiteside, CEO, Academy of Country Music

 

 

“The story of Loretta Lynn’s life is unlike any other, yet she drew from that story a body of work that resonates with people who might never fully understand her bleak and remote childhood, her hardscrabble early days, or her adventures as a famous and beloved celebrity. In a music business that is often concerned with aspiration and fantasy, Loretta insisted on sharing her own brash and brave truth.” – Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

 

 

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Liza Anderson
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