Loretta Lynn

April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022

Deepest sympathies to the family, friends and fans of the First Lady of Country Music. There will never be another like her.

Loretta Lynn performs “Coal Miner’s Daughter” at “The 44th Annual CMA Awards,” live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, on ABC. 
Photo Credit: John Russell/CMA 

“It is not enough to say today that Country Music has lost Loretta Lynn, but rather the world has lost a true music legend. Loretta was a woman whose contributions and impact inspired countless artists and transformed the Country genre into a universal art form. She was a Country Music Hall of Fame member and the first woman to receive a CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year. As a trailblazing songwriter, she bravely wrote about socially and culturally relevant topics that came to define a generation. I’ll personally remember Loretta for her spirit, artistry and genius that rivaled contemporaries like Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.” –Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO

Luke Combs tops Airplay chart, Morgan Wallen’s album debuts at No. 1

Country update from Preshias

Here’s a quick roundup of what’s happening this week on Music Row and in Country Music!

  • Luke Combs logs his tenth No. 1
  • Morgan Wallen debuts on both Billboard’s Top 200 and Top Country Album charts
  • HARDY set to “Give Heaven Some Hell”
  • Parker Millsap is “The Real Thing”
  • Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson roll up their sleeves for vaccine
  • GigTours™ wants you to say “I’m With the Band”
  • Plus an “I Know Country” Q&A and more. Scroll down to read all these country music news items

Luke Combs does it again. Luke has logged his tenth consecutive No. 1 song atop the Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of Jan 23. Titled “Better Together,” the song was co-written by Combs with Dan Isbell and Randy Montana and is the fifth single from Luke’s album What You See Is What You Get.

Continue reading “Luke Combs tops Airplay chart, Morgan Wallen’s album debuts at No. 1”

Loretta Lynn, Chris Young, Elvie Shane and more on the Y’all Show with Preshias

The first Y’all Show of 2021

Preshias is back on the Ya’ll Show for the first show of 2021, talking about what’s happening in Nashville and the world of country music. There was a lot to catch up on after the Christmas and New Year’s break! Y’all Show host Jon Rawl is on hand to ask @PreshiasHarris what’s up on Music Row. Watch the latest Y’all Show with Preshias at the Y’all Show YouTube Channel or at the Y’all Show website. Among this week’s topics…

  • The Grammys have been postponed thanks to the Coronavirus. The Recording Academy has set a new date in March…
  • Loretta Lynn is Still Woman Enough and this week she took to Twitter to talk about her upcoming album and the women of Country who’ll be featured on the project…
  • Shenandoah marked a ‘high’ point in a ‘low’ year for me with the 2020 release of their album Every Road featuring Luke, Blake, Carly, Brad and more of their friends…
  • Broken Bow’s Elvie Shane premieres the music vid – directed by video veteran Peter Zavadil – for his moving debut single, “My Boy”…
  • Former Bee Gee Barry Gibb’s Nashville album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 produced by Dave Cobb drops January 8 featuring a who’s who of Music City’s finest…
  • Blane Howard is a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan and his single “Run It Back” is his tribute to his favorite team, when he isn’t singing “Promise To Lover Her” to his wife…
  • We take a lot back at how 2020 treated Chris Young – and it treated him pretty well with a stack of Gold and Platinum discs for his album I’m Coming’ Over and a bunch of singles…
Continue reading “Loretta Lynn, Chris Young, Elvie Shane and more on the Y’all Show with Preshias”

‘Song of the Year’ named, songwriters honored

George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Luke Combs, Josh Osborne receive Awards

By Preshias Harris

Country music ‘royalty’ came to the Ryman Auditorium on 17 September, but the real stars were songwriters.  The occasion was the 2019 Nashville Songwriter Awards presented by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and City National Bank.

Kid Rock escorts Loretta Lynn to podium. Photo: Catrina Engelby

The audience came to their feet to give a standing ovation to the real Coalminer’s Daughter, Loretta Lynn who was escorted by Kid Rock to the podium where she received the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award is given in recognition to a songwriter whose works have made a significant contribution to the American songbook and who has inspired the careers of others.  “Hello everybody.  I’m Loretta,” she said, as if she needed any introduction.

Reba, Kellie Pickler, Tayla Lynn sing to Loretta

The presentation was preceded by a performance of “Coal Miner’s Daughter” by Loretta’s granddaughter, Tayla Lynn. Also on hand to honor Loretta were Kellie Pickler who sang “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl” and Reba McEntire who sang “You Ain’t Woman Enough.”

George Strait. Photo: Catrina Engelby

George Strait took the stage to accept the President’s Keystone Award.  Acknowledging the debt he owes to the songwriters who wrote so many of his chart-topping hits, Strait said, “I want to thank you for sharing your talent with me over the years and I want to thank NSAI for giving me this great honor tonight.” Continue reading “‘Song of the Year’ named, songwriters honored”

Loretta Lynn, Skynyrd, more on Inside Track

October’s ‘Inside Track on Music Row’ sneak peek

  • ‘Wonderful Women Who Write’ at The Bluebird
  • Martina McBride’s new Christmas album
  • Loretta Lynn: CMT’s ‘Artist of a Lifetime’
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd bid farewell
  • and much more

Catch up on more than thirty music news items in the October 2018 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row. The entire column (and a whole lot more) is now posted here at Nashville Music Guide, complete with photos, videos and graphics. Thank you NMG editor Amanda Andrews! You always make the column look SO good.

The column is the longest-running Country music column in America.  Scroll down for a sneak peek at just a few of the items in the October column.

Bluebird to host ‘Women Who Write’

Carlene Carter

Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Carlene Carter will host an October residency at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe. Aptly titled ‘Wonderful World of Women Who Write,’ the series will feature some of her favorite female songwriters and collaborators. Lilly Hiatt and Elizabeth Cook will be featured at the October 2 show. Lauren Morrow and Pam Tillis are scheduled for October 16, and Gretchen Peters and Matraca Berg will join Carter on October 30. All shows are 9 p.m. Central. Reservations will be available on a pre-paid basis for $25.00 one week ahead of each show date at The Bluebird Cafe website.   bluebirdcafe.com.

It’s Christmas in October for Martina McBride

Martina McBride did not let the Nashville summer heat ruin her Christmas spirit, and begins her gift giving with the release of ‘It’s The Holiday Season.’  The 9-song holiday set will be released on October 19, the first with her new record label partner, BMG.  McBride also continues her ‘The Joy of Christmas Tour’ tradition, this time bringing to life the harmonic, orchestral sounds on the album by using local symphonies on each stop.    For this album, McBride collaborated with the late Patrick ‘Pat’ Williams to arrange a set of classic Christmas songs with accompaniment from more than 40 world-class musicians at the famed Capitol Studio in Los Angeles and Blackbird Studio in Nashville. Details here.

CMT honors Loretta Lynn

Continue reading “Loretta Lynn, Skynyrd, more on Inside Track”