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| Birth Name(s) : Loretta Webb |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Country singer and songwriter |
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Full Loretta Lynn Biography
Born to Melvin "Ted" Webb (1906–1959) and Clara Marie (Ramey) Webb (1912–1981) and named in honor of Loretta Young, Loretta Webb was the second of eight children; her youngest sister is country singer Crystal Gayle. Lynn grew up in Butcher Hollow, a section of Van Lear, a mining community officially a part of Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky. Loretta's mother Clara was of Scots-Irish and Cherokee ancestry. Her father Ted was a coal miner, store keeper and farmer. Growing up with such humble roots had a huge effect on Lynn's life, which heavily influenced her music as an adult. She was married to Oliver Vanetta Lynn, commonly known as "Doolittle", "Doo", or "Mooney" (for moonshine), on January 10, 1948, a few months before she turned 14. Lynn moved to Washington, Kentucky, with her husband at the age of 14. Shortly thereafter, in an effort to break free of the coal mining industry, the couple moved across the country to Custer, Washington. The Lynns had four children by the time Loretta was 17 and she was a grandmother at age 29. Lynn always had a passion for music; before getting married she regularly sang at churches and in local concerts. After she was married, she stopped singing in public, wishing rather to focus on her family life. Instead, she passed her love of music on to her children, often singing to them around the house. When Loretta was 18, Doolittle bought her a guitar, which she taught herself to play.Childhood home of Loretta Lynn
Her unique material, which sassily and bluntly addressed issues in the lives of many women (particularly in the Southern United States), made her stand out among country female vocalists. As a songwriter, Lynn believed no topic was off limits, as long as it spoke to other women, and many of her songs were autobiographical. Lynn was reportedly once inspired to write a song about a real woman whom she suspected was flirting with her husband; the song, "You Aint Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" was an instant hit and became one of Lynn's all-time best. Despite some criticism, Lynn's openness and honesty won the day, drawing fans from around the nation. Lynn got attention and admiration from many fans and critics who were not familiar with country music. When country music legend Patsy Cline died in a plane crash in 1963, Lynn was devastated by her death. Fourteen years later Lynn recorded one of her most successful albums, "I Remember Patsy" featuring Cline remakes; two of the songs from the album became Top Ten hits for Lynn as they had been for Cline 15 years earlier. She also collaborated many times with close friend Conway Twitty; from 1971 thru 1981 they had 12 Top Ten hits, making them one of the most successful recording duets in country music history. Poet and children's author Shel Silverstein wrote Lynn's hit songs "One's on the Way","Hey Loretta" and "Here I Am Again" all reaching the Top Five on Billboard.
In 2004 Lynn and Conway Twitty's rendition of "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" appeared in the popular videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on fictional country music station K-ROSE. In 2005, her son pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in a DUI-related accident.
In 2004, Lynn made a comeback with the highly successful album Van Lear Rose, the second album on which Lynn either wrote or co-wrote every song. The album was produced by her "friend forever" Jack White of The White Stripes, and featured guitar work and backup vocals by White. Her collaboration with White allowed Lynn to reach new audiences and generations, even garnering high praise in magazines that specialize in mainstream/alt rock music, such as Spin and Blender. Rolling Stone magazine voted the album the second best of the year 2004. White has long been an admirer of Lynn and claims she is his favorite singer. He has covered several songs of hers, including the controversial "Rated X".
Lynn has written over 160 songs and released 70 albums. She has had seventeen #1 albums and twenty-seven #1 singles on the country charts. Lynn has won dozens of awards from many different institutions, including four Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, eight Broadcast Music Incorporated awards, and ten Academy of Country Music awards.
In her heyday, Lynn was no stranger to controversy. She had more banned songs than any other artist in the history of country music, including "Rated X", about the double standards divorced women face, "Wings Upon Your Horns", about the loss of teenage virginity, and "The Pill", about a wife and mother becoming liberated via the birth control pill. Her song "Dear Uncle Sam", released in 1966, was an early protest of the Vietnam War, and was added to live sets during the current Iraq War.
Lynn is believed to be a Republican. She campaigned for George Herbert Walker Bush in 1988 and 1992 and remains close to him, and also supported his son in the 2000 election. In 1976 and 1980, however, she was one of Jimmy Carter's most ardent supporters and likewise enjoys a friendship with the former president. In her autobiography, Lynn writes that her father was a Republican and her mother a Democrat. Her writings suggest she was not a supporter of Ronald Reagan and she has also publicly criticized Bill Clinton. |
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