Growing up with a famous relative can lead to being exposed to the entertainment industry at a young age. This is exactly what happened to Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter who grew up as country music royalty because of her grandmother’s fame.
But of course, with the good came the bad. And soon Tayla Lynn found herself in a situation that was not serving her in the way that she had probably hoped…
Loretta Lynn had six children, four of whom she is survived by today. Her fourth son, Ernest Ray Lynn, had a wild streak and was arrested for a DUI and vehicular homicide in 2003.
Ernest Ray Lynn is a singer and has followed in his mother’s footsteps. In the past, on many occasions, he has opened for his mother’s shows as well.
And it seemed like his daughter Tayla Lynn also inherited her father’s wild streak because her life was filled with a lot of adventure. Tayla became an addict because of being constantly exposed to a lifestyle where using substances was common.
“Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I live hard and I lived fast. It all just went together,” she said recalling those days. By the year 2004, at the young age of 24 years old, she had already been to rehab 7 times.
Her stints in rehab were unsuccessful. Until, she recalls someone saying to her, “If you’ll just hit your knees and ask God for help, he will help you.”
This message somehow resonated with the lost young woman, who managed to find an abandoned chapel and decided to try it out. She got down on her knees in the chapel and begged, saying, “God I want to be through. I want to be done, God. Please help me.”
It was after that moment she instantly let go of her addictions and decided to spend the next chapter of her life, dedicated to Jesus. For the next eight years, she was successful.
She hit a rough patch when she was giving birth to her son. She needed to have a c-section and the doctor gave her Vicodin for the pain. Two months later, her doctors also prescribed her Adderall which is a medication for ADHD.
Then Adderall made her resolve slip. One Adderall turned into two which turned into three, slowly spinning her life out of control. Soon addiction was taking over her life again, and she found herself lying, cheating, and stealing to keep supporting her addiction.
She completely turned her back on her faith and God. She even began talking to another man, hiding everything from her husband. “I remember thinking, if I don’t talk to God then he can’t see what I’m doing,” she recalls from that time.
Thankfully, her husband found out everything. Instead of being angry at her, he showed true patience and love. He took Tayla back to rehab so that she could work on herself again and kick her addictions once and for all.
READ MORE
- Loretta Lynn became a mom at 16 – felt ‘sorry’ for her twins and lost 2 of her 6 kids unexpectedly
- Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, and country’s other biggest names pay tribute to Loretta Lynn
And that is exactly what she did. She took control of her life again. And not only did she get clean but she also helps other people on similar journies now. She is introducing others to her religion and is tolerant of people from every walk of life.
“You try so hard to figure out what your purpose is. To try to feel like a good person. To feel like a woman of integrity. So that’s how God has changed me,” she said tearfully, summarizing her journey through life.
She went through some incredibly hard things early on in life. Being exposed to a lifestyle on the road and mixing with people of all kinds can lead to a young person getting caught in vulnerable situations. And while this happened to her, she made sure that she overcame it and her faith is now stronger than ever.
Perhaps one of the reasons why she was able to overcome addiction was her family. The Lynn family is tight-knit and made sure they are always together through everything in life.
The matriarch of the family for over seven decades was country music legend Loretta Lynn. She was the glue that held the family together for a long time. The family would spend major holidays together and it was obvious that they enjoy one another’s company. And it is always important to have a supportive family when you are trying to kick an addiction.
Tayla Lynn has her own career in music. She recalls, “I started singing as soon as I opened my mouth.” You could even say that music is in her blood as she is the granddaughter of a country music legend and her father is a singer too. “I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t in the wings in some town somewhere, watchin’ my Memaw [Loretta Lynn] and my Daddy [Ernest Ray Lynn] on stage” recalls Tayla.
Her music is tinged with truth and encapsulates her journey through life, of moving across the country, of her addiction and subsequent recovery and much more.
As for her personal life, she is married to Jon Cody Finger. They have two songs together and he also manages the famous Loretta Lynn campground, where the family also lives.
It is a testament to Tayla Lynn’s character on how she not only recovered from her addiction but managed to set up such a beautiful life after it. She usually posts videos and images on Instagram which have messages from the scripture and where she gives her view as a Christian mother. She has many videos on what it is like to be a Christian parent and what advice she has for other parents facing similar problems.
After the news of Loretta Lynn’s death was officially announced, Tayla posted a beautiful picture with her late grandmother. In the caption she mentioned how sad the family was but that they were taking comfort in the fact that Loretta was finally at peace and with her loved ones. “As sad as we are- we are so thankful she is home with her Father in Heaven. Her Mommy & Daddy. Her children past. Her husband. So many that have gone before her,” the caption read.
The death however has hit her particularly hard as Loretta Lynn was the last maternal figure in her life. She wrote on Facebook, “The thing is…I wanna call my Mama. She’s not here so I wanna call Granny. But she’s not here so I wanna call Memaw. So. I just.”
Earlier in her life Tayla lost her mother, followed by her maternal grandmother, and now her paternal grandmother. Surely this will not be an easy loss for her to deal with.
Our well wishes are with the Lynn family in this trying time for them. We send our condolences to them in their time of grief.
Share the inspiring story of Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter with your friends and family.
