Song:Coal Miner's Daughter
Album:The Definitive Collection
Of course Loretta Lynn is one of the all time country music greats and the autobiographical Coal Miner's Daughter is her signature song. Because there was a very successful film about her life, I think fans are familiar with her story. She was born Loretta Webb Apr. 14, 1932 in Butcher Hollow, KY. And yes, her dad was a coal miner. She had seven brothers and sisters including singer Crystal Gayle. She was 15 years old when she married Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn and they were married until his 1996 death. He bought her a guitar in 1953 and eventually she started playing gigs with her brother Jay Lee on guitar. He was born Willie Lee Webb Feb. 12, 1937. Jay Lee was a childhood nickname. She moved to Nashville in the late 50s. And after a few singles, she signed with Decca in 1963 and she remained there for most of her career. Loretta credits Patsy Cline with getting her into Decca and she also worked with Patsy's producer Owen Bradley. Her first number one country hit was Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind) in 1966. By the late 60's, Loretta was a fixture at the top of the country charts. But the autobiographical Coal Miner's Daughter made her an international star. Not only is it her signature song but it propelled subsequent singles to the top of the country charts. Loretta had 11 number one hits mostly in the 70s. And she also recorded successful duets with Conway Twitty. The success of the 1980 film Coal Miner's Daughter only enhanced that. You can get all of Loretta's hits on this budget comp. Though she faded in the 80s, Loretta continued to have success especially with the 1993 album Honky Tonk Angels which she recorded with Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette. Loretta was recently hospitalized after suffering a stroke. She has a new album coming out in August on Sony's Legacy label called Wouldn't It Be Great produced by Johnny Cash's son John Carter Cash. We don't know yet if she will be able to continue touring. Here's Loretta Lynn performing Coal Miner's Daughter on The Johnny Cash Show 1971.
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