Loretta Lynn is perhaps one of the most prolific country music superstars of her generation. She defined the sound of country music in the United States of America for her entire career.
Her death has left many fans heartbroken as they remember the music she shared with the world. A few years ago on her birthday, she gave a legendary performance of her most famous song; Coal Miner’s Daughter.
And accompanying her were some rather special guests.
Loretta Lynn’s most famous song, one that she was best known for was ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter.’ The songstress sang it loud and proud. And the lyrics of the song tell the story of her life.
Loretta Lynn was indeed born as a coal miner’s daughter and her family lived in poverty for most of their lives. When she was 15 years old, she met Oliver Vanetta Lynn Jr., who was known as Doolittle by most people.
The couple hit it off and married one another within a month. Unfortunately, the marriage wasn’t always happy. It was well known that Vanetta would often cheat on her and even abuse her.
But Lynn did not leave her husband, saying “I put up with it because of six kids.”
In her biography she further explained her marriage and defended it from those who painted her husband as the villain in her story. She wrote, ”I married Doo when I wasn’t but a child, and he was my life from that day on. But as important as my youth and upbringing was, there’s something else that made me stick to Doo. He thought I was something special, more special than anyone else in the world, and never let me forget it. That belief would be hard to shove out the door. Doo was my security, my safety net.”
“And just remember, I’m explainin’, not excusin’… Doo was a good man and a hard worker. But he was an alcoholic, and it affected our marriage all the way through,” she added.
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She largely credited her career to her husband. As a young girl and the daughter of a coal miner, she did not dare dream of a big career in music but it was her husband who encouraged her talent and even bought her her first guitar from Sears.
Before Vanetta, she used to live in a small cabin with her family. Her mother had to use newspapers as wallpaper so she could somewhat stop the cold from getting into the home.
The lyrics in her son ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’ explain how the children would only get one pair of shoes in the winter. How they had little money but their parents gave them a lot of love.
Of course, the song was a smash hit and loved all across the country. Other country singers including her own children and grandchildren have their own renditions of the song as well.
In 2019, on Loretta’s 87th birthday, she spent it a little differently. The country music legend spent the night on stage with her superstar friends. Keith Urban even jumped out of her cake. The tribute concert was to celebrate her contribution to the country music genre over the years.
Many singers including Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, George Strait, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies, Alan Jackson, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Brandy Clark, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, and Jack White performed their own renditions of her music.
Finally, Loretta Lynn took to the stage herself to sing her famous song ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ a moment perhaps everyone in attendance had been eagerly waiting for.
As she sang, she was surrounded by George Strait, Tanya Tucker, Little Big Town and Alison Krauss and more who joined along in singing the song, knowing every word of the iconic melody by heart.
It was truly a beautiful moment that any fan of country music will always remember.
The loss of Loretta Lynn will be deeply felt, especially in the world of country music. We send our condolences to the family of Loretta Lynn as they process this loss.
Share this beautiful performance and memory with your friends and family who are Loretta Lynn fans.
