INFLUENCED: The Band Perry and Loretta Lynn

New artists dream of being in music for the long haul and that’s the case with The Band Perry. Lead singer Kimberly Perry shares that she and her brothers – Neil and Reid - admire those artists “who’ve been lifetime artists.” The trio has only released two singles so far – “Hip To My Heart” and "If I Die Young" – that has caught the attention of country fans, and they hope that it’s just the beginning of long term success. Another admirable trait that they have a high regard for is being genuine. Kimberly explains that they love those artists “who are the same person on stage as they are off stage.” Longevity and being “real” are two qualities that are embodied in one of their musical influences - Loretta Lynn.

Watch The Band Perry's video for "If I Die Young."

While growing up, the Perrys came to know Loretta’s music by way of their mother who was a big fan of the Kentucky singer-songwriter. Neil explains, “In the mornings, Mom would wake us up with Loretta Lynn.” And just like their musical hero, The Band Perry is very involved with writing and singing their own songs.

Loretta’s story is one that seems like it would be from a book of fiction; in fact, it is so fascinating that it was made into the 1976 film Coal Miner’s Daughter based on Lynn’s autobiography of the same name. Loretta grew up the second of eight children (including sister Crystal Gayle who would go on to have her own country music success) in Butcher Holler, Kentucky to parents who worked extremely hard for everything they had. She got married at the young age of 14 to Oliver Lynn, otherwise known as “Mooney.” He took her out of the hills and hollers of Eastern Kentucky away from the brutal coal mines to Washington. After moving across the country in 1951, Loretta became a mother to four children by the time she turned 18.

It was her husband Mooney who first encouraged Loretta to begin singing, playing guitar and writing songs and by the early 1960s, she had a record deal. The Lynns traveled the country and stopped at every radio station they saw in order to promote her first single “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” On the strength of that song, Loretta garnered her debut appearance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry where she would go on to make great friends like Pasty Cline and Ernest Tubb. After moving to Nashville, Lynn became associated with The Wilburn Brothers. The duo brought her on board as part of their road show and even booked Loretta on their television show.

Lynn became a regular on the country charts with songs like “Blue Kentucky Girl” that showcased her earthy, country sound, but as her career progressed, Loretta became more out-spoken with her songs. Her bold statements often came with a dose of humor and she definitely wasn’t one to shy away from putting a man in his place when he got out of line with tunes like “Fist City,” “You Ain’t Woman Enough (to Take My Man)” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (with Lovin’ on Your Mind).” Lynn then began collecting countless awards winning Female Vocalist of the Year multiple times at both the CMA and ACM Awards and became, in 1972, the very first woman to be awarded with CMA’s Entertainer of the Year trophy.

Loretta was honored during the Grammy Salute to Country Music, check out the recap of the event.

In the 1970s, Loretta recorded her signature song the autobiographical “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and two of the most controversial records to ever come out of Nashville – “The Pill,” which subject was birth control, and “Rated X,” which covered the topic of divorce. Lynn also began recording with country hit-maker and former rock and roller Conway Twitty. The pair collected many hits together including “After the Fire is Gone,” “Lead Me On” and “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.”

By 1988, Loretta’s four decades of success earned her a spot in the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame. Throughout the ‘90s and 2000s, Lynn continued to record, releasing albums like 1993’s Honky Tonk Angels with Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette and 2004’s critically-acclaimed, Grammy-winning project Van Lear Rose produced by Jack White. Loretta is currently celebrating her 50th anniversary in the music business. In November, she will be honored by a collection of artists ranging from country to rock as they tackle some of her best loved hits on the album Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn.

Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010

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