Loretta Lynn, Special Grammy Awardees
For many, the Grammy Awards Ceremony mean glitter, glamour, and a star-studded night of performers, presenters, and attendees gathered for the music industry’s biggest night. However, those who are the industry’s real legends, the ones who have achieved so much in their lifetimes, have already been feted with special citations in a quite ceremony which was also held in the same week as the awards show.
This year, reigning country music queen Loretta Lynn, has been given a special citation during the Special Merit Awards Ceremony, which recognizes lifetime achievements in music. Although Lynn could not attend, her twin daughters Patsy and Peggy Lynn were on hand to receive the award for their mother, widely recognized as one of the best singer/songwriters of all time. “Peggy and I always said she didn’t open doors, she kicked them off the hinges,” said Patsy Lynn. This is her 50th year in country music, and it couldn’t have gotten started any better.”
Lynn, famous for her unique country music love songs and others that have a social and political message, has enjoyed a career spanning half a century of hit songs and albums, awards, and acclaim from both critics and fans alike. According to an established country music blog, her movie was even made into a movie, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. Born in a poor mining village in Butcher Hollow, KY, Lynn has had a less-privileged upbringing but that did not stop her from achieving greatness later in life.
When she was 13 years old, Lynn dropped out of the sixth grade to marry Oliver Doolittle Lynn, who was instrumental in introducing her to singing and songwriting. After hearing her sing lullabies to their children at night, Doolittle bought her a $17 guitar and encouraged her to sing, since he felt that Lynn was a better singer than the ones heard over the radio at that time. The rest, as we say it, is history. Today, Lynn is one of the most awarded artists and remains to be a gifted singer and songwriter to this day.
Like most artists her age, Lynn has had her share of ups and downs, and some of her experiences could be gleaned from songs that she wrote throughout her career. Her brand of country music love songs—and even those that are not—are admired for their authenticity, especially since Lynn is fond of singing in a traditional style. In 2004, as if to prove her staying power, she released her most critically acclaimed album to date, “Van Lear Rose,” which was the product of an unlikely collaboration with White Stripes front man Jack White. This album was nominated for five categories (Best Country Song for “Portland, Oregon” and “Miss Being Mrs.,” Best Female Country Vocal Performance “Miss Being Mrs.,” Best Country Album and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “Portland, Oregon”). Of these, she won two awards for Best Country Album and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
According to another country music blog, last year, Lynn went on tour simply because she thought it was “better than sitting on the couch and watching TV.” Clearly, Lynn has not lost her sense of humor and childlike enthusiasm; we can thus expect even better albums and some special country music love songs from this great artist in the coming days.
