George Strait, Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Wynonna Judd and More Bow to Queen Loretta Lynn at Moving Tribute
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Loretta Lynn herself made several appearances — in video footage and recordings — at her own public memorial service on Sunday night in Nashville. During one of those moments, the country icon, who died at age 90 on Oct. 4, reflected with her trademark humility on what she hoped her legacy would be.
"I would like to be remembered," she said, "just as a good person."
Oh, Loretta Lynn. You will be remembered for so very much more — and your fellow legends, musical descendants, friends and family all testified to that during "Coal Miner's Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn," a 90-minute tribute in spoken words and song that aired live on CMT.
Jason Kempin/Getty Stage atmosphere
RELATED: Loretta Lynn Dead at 90: Country Legend 'Passes Peacefully in Her Sleep' Family Says
The event was held, fittingly, at the Grand Ole Opry House: Host Jenna Bush Hager noted that Lynn once said becoming an Opry member was "the greatest moment of my life."
"Well, tonight," Hager said, "even after she's gone, she fills it once again."
Terry Wyatt/Getty Jenna Bush Hager
Indeed, the house was packed not only with invited guests, but also about 1,500 fans lucky enough to snag free tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some, Hager said from the stage, had begun lining up at 4 a.m. to assure they would be present for the stirring farewell.
Wynonna Judd set a solemn tone at the start, asserting her vocal powers in a majestic rendering of the gospel standard, "How Great Thou Art," backed by harmonies from the Gaither Vocal Band and her late mother Naomi's husband, Larry Strickland.
Jason Kempin/Getty Wynonna Judd, her stepfather Larry Strickland and the Gaither Vocal Band
But the solemnity quickly gave way to many other moods that reflected Lynn's personality and career.
Arriving with a six-string banjo, country rocker Keith Urban put some extra twang in his voice for Lynn's 1971 sunny hit, "You're Lookin' at Country." He also reminisced about being her "date" at the 2005 CMT awards, at her invitation, and how she was back making playful demands for her 87th birthday bash, an all-star tribute concert at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena in 2018.
RELATED: Loretta Lynn Celebrates Her Birthday with a Star-Powered Concert — and Keith Urban Takes the Cake!
When that show was announced, Lynn mischievously requested Urban pop out of a cake onstage — he did oblige — and on Sunday, Urban revealed that Lynn made sure of his appearance with a pointed voicemail, which he shared with the audience.
Larry McCormack/Variety via Getty Keith Urban
"Hey, Keith, this is Loretta," the familiar voice perked from Urban's phone, which he held to the microphone, "and I'm having a birthday, and I want to see your butt there."
"So you bet I was there," Urban told the crowd. "I came running then. I came running tonight. I will always come running for Miss Loretta."
RELATED: Country Stars Mourn the Loss of 'Icon' Loretta Lynn: 'One of the Greatest There Ever Will Be'
Larry McCormack/Variety via Getty Tanya Tucker
Urban was the first of several big names tapped to perform a Lynn standard. Tanya Tucker lent her bluesy voice to "Blue Kentucky Girl." ("Miss you, Retty," she interjected as she sang.) And Americana star Margo Price was a natural to sing perhaps Lynn's most controversial hit, "The Pill," delivering it with sassy fervor on a retro corded microphone.
RELATED: Margo Price, Who Named Daughter After Loretta Lynn, Says Singer's Death 'Hurts on Another Level'
Terry Wyatt/Getty Margo Price
Lynn's signature song, "Coal Miner's Daughter," required four women to do it full justice. Country supergroup the Highwomen — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires, along with Brittney Spencer (standing in for Maren Morris, who had a tour date) — closed the show by each taking a verse. (It's a rare country song without a chorus.) The four traded lines on the fifth verse before joining forces on the sixth.
Jason Kempin/Getty The Highwomen
Other song-to-singer matches could only be considered outside the box: Darius Rucker took on "Fist City," Lynn's feisty response to the floozy moving in on her husband. And King George Strait paid his honors to the country queen with her famously tart message to her boozing man: "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin (With Lovin' on Your Mind)."
Jason Kempin/Getty George Strait
Surely no one would have gotten a bigger kick out of both renditions more than Lynn, who pioneered women's empowerment songs in the male-dominated genre. Strait showed his respect and affection at song's end, tapping his heart and pointing heavenward.
Carlile took a solo turn to offer a double tribute with a soulful performance of "She's Got You," a No. 1 hit for Patsy Cline in 1962 and a No. 1 hit for Lynn 15 years later. The song appeared on Lynn's tribute album to her close friend, who was killed in a private plane crash in 1963 — and Cline's daughter, Julie Fudge, was in the audience to hear Carlile sing it.
"I'm gonna sing this for Loretta and her girlfriend Patsy up in heaven," Carlile announced in her introduction.
Larry McCormack/Variety via Getty Brandi Carlile
Little Big Town (minus Philip Sweet, who was ill with the flu) brought their harmonies to a deep cut on the 1993 album, Honky Tonk Angels, a collaborative project by Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette. Titled "Let Her Fly," it was written by Parton for just such a moment: "Oh, she's an angel / Let her fly, let her fly / She's gone home to glory / To her home in the sky."
Larry McCormack/Variety via Getty Little Big Town
One of the evening's most passionate ovations went to Lynn's 23-year-old granddaughter, Emmy Russell, a recently signed Nashville songwriter, and Willie Nelson's son, Americana star Lukas Nelson.
The two claimed their inheritance with "Lay Me Down," a song that Lynn and Willie Nelson duetted on her 2016 album, Full Circle. It was the only time the two Hall of Fame members recorded together, and the song, written by Lynn, is a poignant acceptance of death: "When they lay me down someday / My soul will rise, then fly away / This old world will turn around / I'll be at peace when they lay me down." The crowd lifted, as one, on the last note of the performance.
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for CMT Lukas Nelson and Emmy Russell
Alan Jackson, whom Lynn inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018 in one of her last public appearances, performed his own song about the here-after, "Where Her Heart Has Always Been," which he wrote in tribute to his late mother and her own eternal love for his father. Lynn, of course, was married to her childhood sweetheart, Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn, for 48 years before his death in 1996.
"I never told [Lynn] this, but she reminded me a lot of my momma," Jackson said in his introduction. "They looked a little alike. Their personalities were a lot alike. They were both real outgoing, tell you exactly what's on their mind, but very sweet and genuine. ... When my momma passed away, I wrote this song for her, and when they asked me to sing for Loretta tonight, I just felt like the words felt right, and the family was kind enough to let me sing this song."
Jason Kempin/Getty Alan Jackson
Rock god Jack White, who produced Van Lear Rose, Lynn's 2004 Grammy-winning album, performed its title track, which Lynn wrote as a tribute to her mother. In Margo Price's introduction, she noted that White became captivated with Lynn and her music as a 9-year-old boy watching Coal Miner's Daughter, the 1980 bio-pic based on her life — eventually leading to his decision to dedicate his first White Stripes album to her. The two later bonded over chicken and dumplings that the country star cooked and served the rock 'n' roller at her home.
White brought all his rock chops to his performance, accompanying himself on electric guitar and showing how easily Lynn's music transcends the country genre.
Jason Kempin/Getty Jack White
Artists of other genres also lent their voices, in spoken tribute, to Lynn's wide-ranging impact.
"I'm just amazed at how many people Loretta has brought together," folk-pop icon Sheryl Crow said in her testimonial. "She's so much bigger than country music."
Jason Kempin/Getty Sheryl Crow
In his video tribute, Kid Rock reminisced about his friendship with Lynn and her visits to his studio. Country-turned-pop superstar Taylor Swift, in another video tribute, offered her gratitude to Lynn "for being an example for songwriters everywhere, but most specifically female songwriters … She was so ahead of her time."
John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT Crystal Gayle (left)
Of course, a legion of country icons appeared on stage or in videos to pay homage to their queen, among them Barbara Mandrell, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Marty Stuart and Kacey Musgraves. They reached for a wide array of descriptors to capture the fullness of Lynn's personality: gutsy, creative, funny, fierce, wise, kind, loving, down-to-earth. And they noted her many roles: trailblazer, storyteller, gifted songwriter, powerful performer, wife, mother, grandmother, girlfriend.
Catherine Powell/Getty Images for CMT Ashley Judd with sister Wynonna
"She didn't just push boundaries for women in country music — she shredded them," Faith Hill said in her emotional tribute. She shared the stage with husband Tim McGraw, who noted that Lynn's "voice and music are a part of the soundtrack of my life" even as she "made it clear she was writing songs about women for women."
Larry McCormack/Variety via Getty Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
Another country queen, Dolly Parton, on video, recalled how she and Lynn "used to talk about our lives, how similarly we grew up. [We] had a lot of laughs, shed a lot of tears over things that we remembered about our childhood and about our parents. … We often talked about how happy [we were that] we grew up the way we did so we could write all those wonderful songs about our lives."
Sissy Spacek, whom Lynn personally cast to play her in Coal Miner's Daughter, offered more personal reflections on the woman she portrayed in her Oscar-winning performance. "I got to know you from the inside out by playing you," she said on video, "and it was the greatest gift."
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for CMT Tayla Lynn and Patsy Lynn Russell
Near the end of the celebration Lynn's daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell, and granddaughter Tayla Lynn were showered with a lengthy ovation as they took the stage, representing Lynn's expansive family. Tayla Lynn, the daughter of Lynn's son Ernest Ray, brought attention to her grandmother's deep, inspiring faith and its impact on her. Russell called the evening both "extremely emotional" and a "joy," and she offered gratitude for the outpouring of love and music.
RELATED: Loretta Lynn's Children: Everything to Know
"That comforts us," she said, "because with the loss of our mom, we are heartbroken. It's such an empty feeling in so many ways." Yet, she added, "My mom has laid down the most incredible legacy. She has laid down such a legacy that she will never leave us."
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for CMT The atmosphere
If you missed the show — or want to see it again — commercial-free encores will air on CMT at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Wednesday and at 11 am. ET/10 a.m. CT on Sunday. The special will also be available on Paramount+ in early 2023.
