Loretta Lynn Information Continued
Loretta Lynn's big break came when she won a local talent
competition and was noticed by Buck Owens who invited her on his
television show. That performance led to a deal with Zero Records and
in 1960, she recorded her first hit, "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl". Kitty
Wells became the first major country female vocalist in the 1950's
but by the time Loretta Lynn made her first record in 1960,
only three other women, Patsy Cline, Skeeter Davis and Jean Shepard
had become top stars. By the end of 1962 it was clear Loretta
Lynn was on her way to becoming the fourth to follow Wells' lead
to the top.
Loretta Lynn enjoyed enormous success on country radio
until the early 1980's when a more pop-flavored type of country music
began to dominate the market, one of the leaders of which was her
younger sister Crystal Gayle. Loretta Lynn's last top 10
record as a soloist was "I Lie" in 1982 but she continued having
charting records until the end of the decade. As a concert artist,
she remained a top draw throughout her career but by the early 1990s
had drastically cut down the number of personal appearances she
accepted due to fragile health.
Loretta Lynn was a recipient of Kennedy Center Honors in
2003 and was named "Artist of the Decade" for the 1970s by the
Academy of Country Music. In 2004, she made a comeback with the
highly successful album Van Lear Rose, produced by and
featuring the guitar playing of Jack White of The White Stripes, which helped her reach new audiences and new
generations and even garnered airplay on rock radio. At the end of
2004, it was announced that Loretta Lynn was nominated for
five Grammy Awards including, Best Country Song ("Miss Being Mrs."
and "Portland Oregon"), Best Country Album (Van Lear Rose),
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals ("Portland Oregon" with Jack
White) and Best Female Country Vocal Performance ("Miss Being Mrs.").
At the 2005 Grammys, she won for Best Country Album and Best Country
Collaboration with Vocals.
Loretta Lynn is one of only five solo women (others include
Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton and Shania Twain), to win the Country Music Association's
highest honor, "Entertainer Of The Year".
