“If you’re looking at Loretta, then you’re looking at country,” sings the always amazing Reba McEntire, and she’s right.
The 56th annual Country Music Association Awards was held over at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and the country music celebration kicked off with a special tribute to the late Loretta Lynn.
Lynn passed away on Oct. 4 at at the age of 90. (April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022)
Her career spanned six decades in country music, with multiple gold albums that contained numerous hits such as “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”, “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)”, “One’s on the Way”, “Fist City”, and “Coal Miner’s Daughter”.
The film Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) was based on Lynn’s life.
Video footage of Lynn appeared on the screen, where she was at the Ryman Auditorium in 1972, accepting her CMA entertainer of the year award.
She became the first woman to take home the Country Music Association’s highest honor.
An amazing life does deserve the honor of a tribute.
Carrie Underwood first stepped onstage to honor the Country Music Hall of Fame member singing Loretta’s 1966 hit “You Ain’t Woman Enough.”
In typical Underwood fashion, she does it so effortlessly while looking so stunning.
Miranda Lambert followed Underwood, singing, “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’.”
The audience was into it at this point, bopping their heads and singing along but when Reba McEntire took over, the audience erupted in loud cheers.
She sang Lynn’s 1971 track “You’re Lookin’ at Country,” doing a wonderful job before switching up the lyrics at one point to sing, “If you’re looking at Loretta, you’re looking at country.”
What a treat!
But the ladies of country were not done.
The trio stepped next to each other to wrap up the tribute, singing a powerful performance of one of Lynn’s most beloved hits, 1971’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Photos of the late Loretta Lynn with a variety of artists, including Dolly Parton, Lambert, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson flashed across the screen as the camera showed a few familiar faces in the crowd singing along.
Rhonda C had this to say about the incredible tribute,
“I love this. Loved seeing Loretta’s daughter & Granddaughter in the audience as well. Lovely family and Loretta deserves to be remembered after all she is the Queen of Country Music.”
Loretta Lynn was born in Kentucky, and yes, was the daughter of a coal miner.
She moved to Washington after marrying Oliver Vanetta “Doolittle” Lynn (August 27, 1926 – August 22, 1996), the man who bought her a guitar and encouraged her to sing.
She began performing in clubs in the fifties and from then on, never looked back.
It’s Lynn who paved the way for most women in country music, whether people will agree or not. Or at the very least, certainly was a big influence.
This amazing tribute to her is proof of that.
She was also inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Enjoy this fantastic tribute to the late Loretta Lynn below!
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