Settled into a new state, fourteen year old Loretta gave birth to her first child, Betty Sue, in Custer, WA. As a young mother and housewife, Loretta stopped singing publicly, and shared her passion for music with her young daughter, singing to her regularly.By the time she was seventeen, Loretta had four children. Inspired by his wife's vocal abilities, Mooney bought his wife a guitar on her eighteenth birthday, and Loretta began to teach herself to play. Within a few months, Loretta was writing her own music and with her husband's encouragement, she began singing with a local band on the weekends.Loretta's big break came when Mooney entered her in a local talent contest. Not only did she win, but she also received a personal invitation from Buck Owens to perform on his television show. Her performance was well received and caught the attention of Zero Records, who immediately contacted her and offered a recording deal. Loretta flew to LA in 1960, and recorded one of her own songs, "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl." Zero Records was a small firm and didn't have the money to promote Loretta's new single, so Mooney decided to do it himself. He and Loretta began mailing the record across the country, where it landed in the hands of radio station owners and disc jockeys. Mooney then packed the family and headed for Nashville, where he hoped he and Loretta could plug the record at local radio stations. The song was hit even before they reached Nashville. The single eventually climbed as high as number fourteen on the charts.
Loretta's first single attracted the attention of the Wilburn Brothers, who hired her to tour with them in 1960. After pleading with her to relocate to Nashville, Loretta and family moved to the city in 1960. A year later, she became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry, had a number one hit album, and gave birth to twin girls.It didn't take long for Nashville to grab on to the rising star. Loretta was offered a record deal with Decca Records, and accepted. "Success," Loretta's first single with Decca Records was released in 1962, and climbed all the way to number six. For the next decade, Loretta released honky tonk hit after hit, all of them reaching the Top Ten List.In 1966, longing for her own sound, Loretta strayed from Honky Tonk, and began recording singles that she had written. Over the course of the next four years, Lynn pulled in 13 Top Ten hits, and was hailed the best country music lyricist ever.In 1970, Loretta became the first ever female country artist to receive a gold album. Conway Twitty and Loretta formed a partnership and released 5 successful hit songs. They were awarded Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association, and released seven more Top Ten hits.In the mid 1970s, Loretta put pen to paper, writing the autobiography, "Coal Miner's Daughter." Six years later, in 1976, Loretta's book became a New York Times best seller. The book would eventually be adapted to the screen in 1980, and become a critically acclaimed hi,t with Sissy Spacek winning an Oscar for her performance. While the movie and the movie's theme song climbed the charts, Loretta became the only female country to to appear on the cover of Newsweek, in 1973.Despite her immense popularity as a result of the movie, Lynn's never regained her popularity in the music world. Her concerts were well attended, but record sales were down. She had two Top Ten hits in the he 1980s and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, but still made the decision to back away from the recording studio, so that she could focus her efforts on performances.
Today, Loretta is a successful businesswoman who owns her own music publishing company. She also owns and operates a Dude Ranch and campground in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, featuring a plantation styled home that is an exact replica of her childhood home. Loretta continues to perform across the United States, and has released several singles. Loretta and Mooney's children take turns balancing the responsibilities of the Loretta Lynn Ranch and Campgrounds in Tennessee, and several serve as part of her touring entourage.
Singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Born Loretta Webb on April 14, 1934 (some sources say 1935), in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Lynn grew up in a small cabin in a poor Appalachian coal mining community. The second of eight children, Lynn began singing in church at a young age. Her younger sister Brenda Gayle Webb also later become a singer, performing as Crystal Gayle.Lynn married Oliver "Mooney" Lynn just a few months before her 14th birthday in January 1948. The following year, she and her husband moved to Washington State, where he hoped to find better work opportunities. Lynn stayed home to look after their growing family. The couple had four children together by the time Lynn turned 18. Encouraged by her husband, Lynn decided to pursue her interest in music. She landed a contract with Zero Records in 1959, and her first single was "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl." To promote the song, the Lynns traveled to different country music radio stations, urging them to play it. Their efforts paid off—the song became a minor hit in 1960.Moving to Nashville in late 1960, Lynn worked with Teddy and Doyle Wilburn, who owned a music publishing company and performed as the Wilburn Brothers. This soon led to a contract with Decca Records. She scored her first big hit with 1962's "Success."
During her early days in Nashville, she befriended singer Patsy Cline. Cline helped the naive young singer navigate the tricky world of country music. Lynn was heartbroken when Cline was killed in a 1963 plane crash. "When Patsy died, my God, not only did I lose my best girlfriend, but I lost a great person that was taking care of me. I thought, Now somebody will whip me for sure," Lynn later told Entertainment Weekly.
In 1964, Lynn scored a string of top 10 country hits, including "Wine, Women, and Song" and "Blue Kentucky Girl." Soon recording her own material, Lynn told the stories about all sorts of relationships. The singer had a talent for capturing the everyday struggles of wives and mothers in her songs, while injecting them with her own brand of humor. She, however, did not shy away from more controversial material, tackling the Vietnam War in her 1966 hit "Dear Uncle Sam."Lynn reached the top of the country charts with "You Ain't Woman Enough (to Take My Man)" in 1967. That same year, Lynn won the award for Female Vocalist of Year from the Country Music Association. She continued to enjoy great success with songs featuring an assertive yet humorous female perspective. "Don't Come Home A 'Drinkin (with Lovin' on Your Mind)" involved a wife telling her husband to forget any amorous intentions, which she penned with country star Kitty Wells. Another classic Lynn tune was "Fist City," a lyrical tell-off from one woman to another over her man.Lynn shared her own personal experiences growing up in "Coal Miner's Daughter," which became a No. 1 country hit in 1970. The song told the story of her childhood, growing up poor but happy. Teaming up with Conway Twitty, Lynn won her first Grammy Award in 1971 for their duet "After the Fire Is Gone." This song was only one of many successful duets that the pair made; other hits included "Lead Me On" and "Feelin's." These collaborations explored romantic relationships—often adulterous ones. They won the Vocal Duo of the Year award from the Country Music Association for four consecutive years, from 1972 to 1975, for their songs.
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