Loretta Lynn

[Torrent Maniak]

Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Hollow, KY, on April 14, 1934. The second of eight children born to Ted and Clara Webb, Loretta was welcomed with open arms by the young couple. With her parents blessing and encouragement, young Loretta soon found her voice and a place where it would be appreciated. During the first twelve years of her life, she sang in churches and at a variety of local concerts.

At age thirteen, Loretta married Oliver "Mooney" Lynn. Within the first few months of marriage, Mooney and Loretta's brother, Jay Lee Web, Jr., hitchhiked to Washington looking for work. Thirteen year old pregnant Loretta stayed behind until Mooney sent money and a train ticket several months later. Settled into a new state, fourteen year old Loretta gave birth to her first child, Betty Sue, in Custer, WA. As a young mother and housewife, Loretta stopped singing publicly, and shared her passion for music with her young daughter, singing to her regularly.

By the time she was seventeen, Loretta had four children. Inspired by his wife's vocal abilities, Mooney bought his wife a guitar on her eighteenth birthday, and Loretta began to teach herself to play. Within a few months, Loretta was writing her own music and with her husband's encouragement, she began singing with a local band on the weekends.

Loretta's big break came when Mooney entered her in a local talent contest. Not only did she win, but she also received a personal invitation from Buck Owens to perform on his television show. Her performance was well received and caught the attention of Zero Records, who immediately contacted her and offered a recording deal. Loretta flew to LA in 1960, and recorded one of her own songs, "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl." Zero Records was a small firm and didn't have the money to promote Loretta's new single, so Mooney decided to do it himself. He and Loretta began mailing the record across the country, where it landed in the hands of radio station owners and disc jockeys. Mooney then packed the family and headed for Nashville, where he hoped he and Loretta could plug the record at local radio stations. The song was hit even before they reached Nashville. The single eventually climbed as high as number fourteen on the charts. Loretta's first single attracted the attention of the Wilburn Brothers, who hired her to tour with them in 1960. After pleading with her to relocate to Nashville, Loretta and family moved to the city in 1960. A year later, she became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry, had a number one hit album, and gave birth to twin girls.

It didn't take long for Nashville to grab on to the rising star. Loretta was offered a record deal with Decca Records, and accepted. "Success," Loretta's first single with Decca Records was released in 1962, and climbed all the way to number six. For the next decade, Loretta released honky tonk hit after hit, all of them reaching the Top Ten List.

In 1966, longing for her own sound, Loretta strayed from Honky Tonk, and began recording singles that she had written. Over the course of the next four years, Lynn pulled in 13 Top Ten hits, and was hailed the best country music lyricist ever.

In 1970, Loretta became the first ever female country artist to receive a gold album. Conway Twitty and Loretta formed a partnership and released 5 successful hit songs. They were awarded Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association, and released seven more Top Ten hits.

In the mid 1970s, Loretta put pen to paper, writing the autobiography, "Coal Miner's Daughter." Six years later, in 1976, Loretta's book became a New York Times best seller. The book would eventually be adapted to the screen in 1980, and become a critically acclaimed hi,t with Sissy Spacek winning an Oscar for her performance. While the movie and the movie's theme song climbed the charts, Loretta became the only female country to to appear on the cover of Newsweek, in 1973.

Despite her immense popularity as a result of the movie, Lynn's never regained her popularity in the music world. Her concerts were well attended, but record sales were down. She had two Top Ten hits in the he 1980s and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, but still made the decision to back away from the recording studio, so that she could focus her efforts on performances. Today, Loretta is a successful businesswoman who owns her own music publishing company. She also owns and operates a Dude Ranch and campground in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, featuring a plantation styled home that is an exact replica of her childhood home. Loretta continues to perform across the United States, and has released several singles. Loretta and Mooney's children take turns balancing the responsibilities of the Loretta Lynn Ranch and Campgrounds in Tennessee, and several serve as part of her touring entourage.

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[Torrent Maniak]

(Hey Won't You Pay) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song

(Hey Won't You Pay) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song

So hey won't you play another somebody done somebody wrong song
And make me feel at home while I miss my baby while I miss my baby

So please play for me a sad melody so sad that it makes everybody cry
A real hurtin' song about love that's gone wrong cause I don't wanna cry all alone
So hey won't you play...
[ harmonica ]
So please play for me...
So hey won't you play...

 

[Torrent Maniak]

A Dear John Letter

A Dear John Letter

Dear John oh how I hate to write
Dear John I must let you know tonight
That my love for you has died away like grass upon the lawn
And tonight I wed another dear John

I was overseas in battle when the mail called up to me
And they handed me a letter why I was happy as could be
For the fighting was all over and the battle had been won
Then I opened up the letter and that started Dear John

Dear John oh how I hate to write...

Will you please send back my picture my husband wants it now
And when I tell you who I'm marrying well you won't care dear anyhow
Now the ceremony has started and I'll wed your brother Don
Will you wish us happiness forever dear John

And tonight I wed another dear John

 

[Torrent Maniak]

Act Naturally

Act Naturally

They're gonna put me in the movies they're gonna make a big star out of me
They'll make a film about a girl who's sad and lonely and all I gotta do is act naturally
Well I'll bet you I'm gonna be a big star might win an Oscar you can never tell
The movies are gonna make me a big star cause I can play the part so well
I hope you'll come to see me in the movies then I know that you will plainly see
The biggest fool that's ever hit the big time and all I gotta do is act naturally
[ ac.guitar ]
We'll make a scene about a girl that's sad and lonely
And begging down upon her bended knee
I'll play the part that I won't need rehearsing all I gotta do is act naturally
Well I'll bet you...
And all I gotta do is act naturally and all I gotta do is act naturally

 

[Torrent Maniak]

After The Fire Is Gone

After The Fire Is Gone

Love is where you find it
When you find no love at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone

The bottle is almost empty
The clock just now struck ten
Darlin' I had to call you
To our favorite place again

We know it's wrong for us to meet
But the fire's gone out at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone

Love is where you find it
When you find no love at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone

Your lips are warm and tender
Your arms hold me just right
Sweet words of love you remember
That the one at home forgot

Each time we say is the last time
But we keep hangin' on
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone

Love is where you find it
When you find no love at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone

 

[Torrent Maniak]

Ain't It Funny

Ain't It Funny

The sun comes up and brings the dawn turn to day
The kids run out to play the game like kids all play
To child the world is milk and honey a dime is a lot a can be money
Oh ain't it funny now ain't it funny
Running barefoot through the fields in the rain
Chasin' pretty butterflies in the lane
The world's a mess and they wonder why oh what a pretty blue blue sky
Gee ain't it funny now ain't it funny
The kids all say grown ups are strange and aren't they
They teach their kids not to do as I do but as I say
They cry for peace and then make wars and wonder what they're fighting for
Oh ain't it funny now ain't it funny
Oh gee ain't it funny now ain't it funny

 

[Torrent Maniak]

Ain't Love A Good Thing

Ain't Love A Good Thing

Blues go ahead and knock upon my door you can't hurt me anymore
Um-um ain't love a good thing
Rain go ahead and let it rain all night in the morning I'll be dry
Um-um ain't love a good thing
Ain't it good to know love can take away the rain
And make the sunshine again
And ain't it good to know love can take a lonely dream
And turn it into a real thing
Um-um ain't love a good thing um-um ain't love a good thing
Pain find yourself another heart to ache and another mind to break
Um-um ain't love a good thing
Time find yourself another fool to waste and another place to stay
Um-um ain't love a good thing
Ain't it good to know...
Um-um ain't love a good thing
Ain't love a good thing good thing
Ain't love a good thing

 

[Torrent Maniak]

All I Want From You (Is Away)

All I Want From You (Is Away)

At first I kinda liked it bein' here with you
Bein' what you needed Lord and leadin' you to
When it started changin' with every passing day
I went searchin' but I couldn't found the answer
All I want from you is away
Oh you hung around and you watched my show but you wouldn't pay
You'll always be just what you are no matter what I say
All I want from you is away
[ guitar - steel ]
Ah one thing that I will say cause I kinda think I should
Feelin' like a woman in your arms it sure felt good
And if I look behind me and I see you there
That's enough for me cause I've already been there
All I want from you is away...

 

[Torrent Maniak]

Alone With You

Alone With You

How I love to be around you when the lonely night surrounds you
How I love to be alone with you
How I love to have the power to read your mind one hour
How I love to be alone with you
Just to be with you one night you and me alone
Kiss your lips and hold you tight have you for my own
This would be a joy unending could be a real beginning
How I love to be alone with you
[ ac.guitar ]
How I'd love to be around you when the lonely night surrounds you
How I love to be alone with you
If I only knew for certain I'd cut out all my flirtin'
How I love to be alone with you
Just to be with you one night...
How I love to be alone with you how I love to be alone with you

 

[Torrent Maniak]

Always Wanting You

Always Wanting You

Always wanting you but never having you
Makes it hard to face tomorrow cause I know I'll wake up wanting you again
Always loving you ah but never touching you
Sometimes hurts me almost more than I can stand

I'd been better off if I turned away and never looked at you the second time
Cause I really had my life all together till your eyes met mine
And there I saw you yearning and the feeling frost the room that you felt for me
Wish I'd had a way of knowin' that the things we had in mind could never be
Always wanting you...
[ steel ]
Always loving you ah but never touching you
Sometimes hurts me almost more than I can stand