TMZ is reporting that Sam Hunt and fiancee Hannah Lee Fowler will tie the knot on Saturday, April 15, in Sam’s Cedartown, Ga., hometown. According to the article, Nashville bridal designer Olia Zavozina customized Hannah’s wedding dress and Sam’s wardrobe.
Sam and Hannah got engaged during a trip to Israel in late December 2016.
“I’m excited about [marriage],” said Sam in January. “It’s something that in life, you know, we all think about [when] growing up, and you think ‘One day,’ and one day finally came and I couldn’t be happier.
“[The engagement] was exciting, I thought it was going to be a cinch when I got the ring, put it in my pocket the day I planned on asking her to marry me. Once you have the ring in your pocket and the clock is ticking, you know, you could do it at any moment, it becomes a bigger deal than you think. It worked out perfectly. We took a trip over to Israel, and we were traveling and visiting all these really cool places and learning about that part of the world. There were a lot of places we were visiting that were, I don’t know, really spiritual and it really connected us in a deeper spiritual way.
“It was either her or push on as a bachelor. I realized she was meant to be a part of my life and when I realized that, as fast as I could, I went to try to convince her that was the way it needed to be.
“Most of the things I do in life, you just kind of wait for the right moment, you just kind of feel it. I had the ring ready and we actually got into this little disagreement, just before I planned on asking her to marry me, the night before I planned to ask her. I think because I felt like this disagreement spoiled my big plan to ask her to marry me, it irritated me a little more, which contributed to making the little fight worse and it escalated to the point where it actually worked out. We got real for a minute, after this little riff that we had. In that moment, it just felt perfect. Everything—after I asked her to marry me—just fizzled away and we celebrated and got excited together.”
NEW YORK – Tennessee guard Jordan Reynolds and forward Schaquilla Nunn became the Lady Vol program’s 38th and 39th overall picks in the WNBA Draft, going in the second round to Atlanta and third round to San Antonio, respectively. They were the seventh and eighth players of the Holly Warlick era taken by the professional league.
Reynolds was the 19th overall pick, while Nunn went 25th in the 2017 edition of the draft, which was sponsored by State Farm and took place Thursday night at Samsung 837 in Manhattan.
The six other Lady Vols taken during Warlick’s five years include: Bashaara Graves (2nd Rd., 22nd pick, Minnesota) in 2016; the trio of Isabelle Harrison(1st Rd., 12th pick, Phoenix), Cierra Burdick (2nd Rd., 14th pick, Los Angeles) and Ariel Massengale (3rd Rd., 29th pick, Atlanta) in 2015; Meighan Simmons in 2014 (3rd Rd., 26th pick, New York); and Kamiko Williams in 2013 (2nd Rd. 15th pick, New York).
Two of Reynolds’ and Nunns’ teammates, 6-1 guard Diamond DeShields and 6-6 center Mercedes Russell, were draft-eligible redshirt juniors but announced during the past two weeks that they had chosen to stay in school and take advantage of their final season of college eligibility.
Reynolds, who will join Simmons in Atlanta, started all 31 games she played as a Lady Vol senior, averaging 7.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest for the Lady Vols. She ranked first in the SEC and No. 16 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.65 and was fourth in league play and 97th in the country in assists per game (4.5).
The 5-foot-11 Reynolds served as the team’s point guard, notching 13 games of double-figure scoring and 18 contests where she led the squad in assists. On Dec. 29, 2016, she recorded only the third triple-double in Lady Vol history, tallying a career-high 14 rebounds, 11 points and 10 assists vs. UNC Wilmington.
Eight days prior to that, Reynolds racked up a career-best 13 assists vs. Troy, marking a tie for the third-highest single-game total in UT women’s history and the second-best by a Lady Vol senior behind Dawn Marsh’s 18 in 1988. Reynolds’ 4.5 assists per game average rated third all-time by a UT senior, tying Lea Henry (4.5, 1982-83) and standing behind Dawn Marsh (7.1, 1987-88) and Holly Warlick (6.0, 1979-80).
For her career, Reynolds averaged 5.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, starting 85 of 135 contests. She helped Tennessee to a 101-38 overall record and 46-18 mark in SEC play. During that time, UT won SEC regular season and tournament titles, played in four NCAA Tournaments and posted two Elite Eight and one Sweet 16 finish.
Reynolds’ career accolades and activities included SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll in 2013-14, SEC All-Tournament in 2014-15, UT Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2016-17 and SEC Community Service Team in 2016-17 as well.
Nunn, who was a graduate transfer in 2016-17 after playing three standout seasons at Winthrop, accepted a role coming off the bench for the Lady Vols. She embraced that assignment and gave Tennessee valuable minutes in the paint, either in reserve for Russell or providing the Lady Vols with more height and rebounding capability in the paint.
The 6-3 forward, who will join former Lady Vols Vicki Baugh and Izzy Harrison in San Antonio, played in all 32 games in her lone year at UT, starting five. She put up averages of 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, shooting 54 percent from the field after redshirting a year ago due to a broken foot. She posted five games scoring in double figures to run her career total to 60 and had five double-doubles, bringing her career number to 46. She tallied season highs of 15 points at Alabama and 15 rebounds vs. Dayton in the NCAA First Round.
Nunn played in 88 games at Winthrop, starting 86 of them, averaging 11.2 points and 10.3 rebounds in her three seasons with the Eagles. She holds career records there with 910 rebounds and 279 blocked shots. She was named All-Big South First Team and Big South Defensive Player of the Year in 2014-15 for her efforts.
Reynolds and Nunn join seven other former Lady Vols currently on WNBA rosters, including Baugh (San Antonio), Burdick (New York), Harrison (San Antonio), Glory Johnson (Dallas), Candace Parker (Los Angeles), Simmons (Atlanta) and Shekinna Stricklen (Connecticut).
Under Warlick, UT has had one first-rounder (Harrison), four second-rounders (Williams, Burdick, Graves and Reynolds) and three third-rounders (Simmons, Massengale and Nunn). Teams drafting Lady Vols under Warlick include New York, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Minnesota and San Antonio.
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball fans looking for a 2017 Thanksgiving getaway need look no further. Holly Warlick’s squad is set to participate in the Women’s Cancun Challenge in Mexico on Nov. 23-25.
The 13th edition of the women’s event includes long-respected powers from major conferences and a mix of mid-major teams looking to flex their muscle. The Cancun Challenge will be held at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula.
In the Riviera Division, it will be Indiana State, Marquette, Montana, Oklahoma State, South Dakota and Tennessee; the Mayan Division will feature Arizona State, Columbia, Green Bay and Mississippi State, which broke UConn’s 111-game winning streak in March and reached the NCAA championship game. Matchups and schedules will be announced later this spring.
This will be the fourth visit to the Cancun Challenge for Arizona State (2005, 2007, 2013) and Montana (2008, 2010, 2014). Mississippi State (2005, 2007) will be on hand for the third time, and it’s the second trip for Green Bay (2012) and Marquette (2009). Six of the teams (Arizona State, Green Bay, Marquette, Mississippi State, South Dakota, Tennessee) had 20 or more victories in the 2016-17 season.
“We are thrilled to be able to showcase such a great group of teams at the Cancun Challenge,” said Renee Carlson, executive director of the event. “Returning teams and first-time teams alike will find a competitive experience that also promotes team bonding, recruiting opportunities, a Mayan cultural view, and a team/fan relationship like no other.
“We are excited to welcome the Tennessee Lady Vols and their fans to the Cancun Challenge for the first time. We appreciate the storied history of the UT program and are excited to feature the Lady Vols in a great environment.”
Tennessee will be making its second in-season trip outside the U.S. during the Holly Warlick era and third overall. UT went 2-0 to win the Lucaya Division championship at the Junkanoo Jam at Freeport, Bahamas, during the 2013-14 season and went 3-0 during a tour of Italy during the summer of 2015.
The Lady Vols welcome back eight letterwinners, including four starters from a 2016-17 squad that finished 20-12 overall and 10-6 in the SEC. Heading that cast will be a trio of seniors in WBCA Honorable Mention All-Americans Diamond DeShields (17.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 3.8 apg.) and Mercedes Russell (16.1 ppg., 9.7 rpg.) as well as Jaime Nared (15.6 ppg., 6.9 rpg.), who joined her two First-Team Coaches All-SEC squadmates as a second-team selection. The 6-foot-1 guard, 6-6 center and 6-2 forward, respectively, will arm UT with arguably as talented a trio as there is in the nation.
After sitting out last season with knee injuries, 5-8 redshirt sophomore guard Te’a Cooper and 6-3 redshirt junior forward Cheridene Green should provide Tennessee with immediate help in both the backcourt and front court. Cooper was an SEC All-Freshman performer in 2014-15 (8.6 ppg., 2.1 apg.), while Green was a two-time junior college All-American at ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y., averaging 20.5 ppg. and 16.5 rpg. two seasons ago.
In addition to returning starting guard Alexa Middleton (7.9 ppg., 2.3 rpg., 2.0 apg.) and reserves Meme Jackson, Kortney Dunbar and Kamera Harris, Warlick welcomes the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. That group includes elite guards in 5-7 Anastasia Hayes and 6-0 Evina Westbrook, an athletic wing player in 6-2 Rennia Davis and a strong post presence in 6-4 Kasiyahna Kushkituah.
Tennessee had only nine healthy players in 2016-17, with seven seeing the bulk of the action. The roster will grow to 13 in 2017-18, and UT will return 84.2% of its points, 76.9% of its rebounds, 69.0% of its assists, 76.6% of its steals and 80.3% of its blocked shots. Beyond the arc, UT will return 92.2% of its three-pointers made a year ago and re-insert a player in Cooper who netted 25 three-balls as a rookie.
The Cancun Challenge is one of the premier basketball events held each year and was rated as a top-five preseason tournament by Sports Illustrated in 2014. Teams stay and play at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. The resort’s convention center ballroom is converted into an arena, which provides fans a special close-up view of the games. Once arriving to the hotel, teams and fans are treated to a spectacular all-inclusive rock star vacation with games, practices, unlimited dining and drinks, world-class entertainment and fun all in one location.
Located just off the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya offers the ultimate vacation for guests of all ages with both the adults-only and family friendly resort experiences. With a combined 1,264 ultra-posh and lavishly appointed guestrooms boasting balcony, terrace views or new, expansive sky terrace options with picturesque views, hydro tubs in each room, world-class shopping and endless style, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is nothing short of the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Complete with expansive outdoor pools and private beach, this all-inclusive escape offers nine world-class restaurants, eight bars and lounges, in addition to 88,915 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and event space ideal for elegant banquets, themed parties, weddings, concerts, and more.
Seating is limited for this exclusive event, and all fans should book land travel packages through Triple Crown Sports for admission into games in Mexico. Travel packages are the only way to guarantee admission to games at this time. For travel package information, contact Sarah Sullivan at 970-672-0533 or by email at [email protected], or visit the website at www.cancunchallenge.net.
About Triple Crown Sports
Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Triple Crown Sports has been producing events in youth athletics and the college ranks for more than 30 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also rolling out new “WNIT” concepts in D-I softball and volleyball, beginning in 2017. TCS youth fastpitch tournaments (including the 1,000-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes.
When Dave Hart took over as Tennessee’s athletic director in 2011, there was a huge elephant in the room, and it didn’t come from Alabama, where he served in the athletic department for six years.
Tennessee football had to be fixed. The Vols had lost 14 of 16 SEC games the previous two years – the worst stretch in school history.
Attendance was down. Ticket sales were down. Apathy was replacing enthusiasm in the fan base.
Football was an obvious concern that Hart knew about.
But two other problems were hiding behind the curtain that Hart was unaware of: finances and academics.
Tennessee’s athletic department had a mere $1.9 million in reserve, last in the SEC by over $12 million. By comparison, Alabama’s reserve at that time exceeded $80 million, according to Hart.
Academically, Tennessee was on the verge of being banned for postseason plan in several sports because of a poor Academic Progress Rate, Hart said.
And in the spring of 2012, Tennessee had 30 football players on academic probation; 23 of which were on scholarship and nine of which were projected starters.
“The financial situation,’’ Hart said, “it was a crisis, and I won’t sugar coat that. We were desperately close to a solvency problem. That was a surprise and nobody knew it.’’
To fight the finances, Hart brokered at three-year deal with the University to not pay a $6 million donation during the summer at the beginning of the fiscal year – a savings of about $18 million. That athletic department gift had been a practice at UT for many years. UT also benefited from revenues derived from the SEC Network.
Hart also acknowledged that UT’s financial situation had an impact on some coaching decisions – in other words, he might have kept a struggling coach or two longer so as not to pay a bigger buyout or any buyout.
Then there were the grades of student-athletes.
“No one knew how much we had fallen off academically,’’ Hart said. “We were 13 out of 14 (SEC) schools in APR performance. We had three sports (including football) ready to face sanctions of a major variety because of our academics.
“It was a tough situation and a tough time.’’
Hart was also charged with completing the merger of the athletic departments. Tennessee and Arkansas were the last SEC teams to have separate men’s and women’s athletic departments. The merger caused some hurt feelings as some jobs were eliminated.
Hart said he was proud to play a hand in turning around football, finances and academics.
“It’s been very gratifying to see what this staff has done in pulling together in one direction,’’ Hart said. “We were able to push the ball up that hill.’’
What does Hart see as the biggest challenges facing athletic directors over the next five to 10 years?
“I think the next five to 10 years in intercollegiate athletics will be its most challenging in history because when you look at the NCAA, the NCAA has settled some lawsuits for a lot of dollars, they have been allocating one-time money earmarked for student-athletes,’’ Hart said.
Hart believes we will see more shifting of conference realignment.
He believes the current structure of postseason in football and basketball will be examined.
He also said social media has changed some dynamics.
“I tell our coaches, `This is the world we live in, embrace it. Don’t be upset about it. Don’t be thin-skinned about it,’’’ Hart said.
“People have a right to opinions in a world where they are more than willing to express them, particularly if they don’t have to identify themselves. But it’s the world we live in. Embrace it.
“This is an industry that is rapidly undergoing significant changes and I think it will take exceptional – not good – leadership on campuses and in athletic programs to stay ahead of the curve that is coming.’’
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
With his debut single, “Hurricane,” reaching No. 9 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after 25 weeks, Luke Combs reached another milestone in his burgeoning career this week: his first Top 10 hit.
“It’s been an unbelievable ride since releasing ‘Hurricane,’” says Luke to Nash Country Daily. “It started out way down in the 60s when it was released, which is what you would expect from a new artist, but it has really taken on a life of its own. Making my first trip to Vegas for the ACMs and living it up, it’s just been so cool.”
Luke will drop his debut album, This One’s for You, on June 2. The 12-song offering features a dozen songs that Luke co-wrote. He also designed the cover art himself.
“I think the album is a good synopsis of who I am,” says Luke. “I don’t think there’s one track that sounds the same as another. It’s not in one lane. From track to track it’s different every time. That’s the way I approach my writing. I don’t go in and say I need to write a song like ‘Drink in My Hand’ by Eric Church. I just go in and the best song that I have in me comes out. I’m not afraid to put it out there.”
Since 2000, Brian “Rooster” King and Clay “Uncle Snap” Sharpe of The Lacs have been blending the sounds of country, Southern rock and rap across multiple albums, two of which reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. But what the Georgia boys love more than rapping about their laid-back lifestyle is collaborating with other artists. Over the course of their 17-year career, The Lacs have featured a number of other artists on their singles, including Colt Ford (“Shindig”), Bubba Sparxxx (“Wylin’”), Josh Thompson (“Tonight on Repeat”) and Craig Campbell (“Back to Georgia”).
The Lacs’ Clay “Uncle Snap” Sharpe (left) and Brian “Rooster” King
On their new album, American Rebelution, Brian and Clay continued their collaborative customs by teaming up with former CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Montgomery Gentry on the single, “Jack in My Coke.” The dynamic duos also joined forces on the tune’s new spirited video, which was filmed in Nashville.
“We’ve always been big fans of Montgomery Gentry,” says Brian. “We felt like ‘Jack in My Coke’ was the perfect song, so with our record label, we reached out to them, and luckily they loved the idea.”
“We can only describe working with Eddie [Montgomery] and Troy [Gentry] as a dream come true,” says Clay. “These guys are legends, and we had a blast on the set of ‘Jack in My Coke.’”
“We had so much fun with The Lacs cutting ‘Jack in My Coke’ and on the set for the video,” says Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie. “We are always up for trying something new, so when they asked, of course we said yes,” added Troy.
Watch the exclusive premiere of The Lacs’ new video for “Jack in My Coke,” featuring Montgomery Gentry.
The May 5 release of Chris Stapleton’s sophomore solo album, From A Room: Volume 1, is three weeks away.
Yesterday (April 13), Chris gave fans a taste of what’s to come on the album by sharing his new song, “Broken Halos,” which was co-penned by Chris and Mike Henderson.
“I’m real proud of this record,” Chris said on April 5 during an album listening party for industry insiders. “We made it right here in [RCA Studio A] like the last one [Traveller]. We camped out in here . . . and had a lot of fun recording things.”
The album takes its name from Music City’s iconic RCA Studio A, where it was recorded during the winter of 2016-17. Dave Cobb, who produced Chris’ debut solo album, once again helmed Volume 1, which features eight original songs as well as a rendition of “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” written by Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar and made famous by Willie Nelson.
As the winner, Todd was awarded a recording contract with Big Machine Records, a single produced by Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus and guaranteed airplay on all Cumulus country radio stations.
Fast-forward to today and Todd is releasing his debut single, “Love Again.”
“Scott [Borchetta, president of Big Machine Label Group] asked me to produce Todd’s first single, and I’m very proud of it,” Jay DeMarcus tells Nash Country Daily. “It’s called ‘Love Again.’ Brent Young co-wrote it, and Todd’s a great singer. It’s pretty cool. I’m excited about it.”
Nash Country Daily sat down with Todd to talk about his Nash Next Challenge win, being in the studio with Jay DeMarcus and why he decided to record “Love Again” as his first single.
Congratulations on winning Nash Next Challenge. How does it feel to be the winner?
“It’s awesome. It’s been an overwhelming situation, really. From getting to work with Jay DeMarcus and getting to meet Kix Brooks, Danielle Bradbery and Scott Borchetta, who were the judges on the challenge. And then to get in the studio with Jay and work with these world class musicians, not to mention cutting a song that was written by Brett Young. I went from singing at local bars in Hammond, Louisiana to Nashville, Tennessee.”
What was going through your mind when they called your name?
“The competition was just super talented. I’ve gotta be honest with you, I had my eye on The Young Fables. I thought it was going to be them, honestly. So when they said, ‘Todd,’ I just lost it—I was floored. I didn’t even hear my last name. Todd was good enough. It took me a few minutes to get up to the stage because all the other contestants were coming up to me, shaking my hand, or hugging my neck. What a gracious group of people too. I have made some really good friends through this process.”
How is the Nash Next Challenge different than other music competitions?
“I think the guaranteed radio play. That is national radio exposure. You cannot ask for something bigger than that—to get that out to the masses and your original song played on the radio.”
Your debut single, produced by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, is “Love Again.” Tell me about the song?
“I think it’s got a different message from anything that I have heard on the radio. It’s about a guy who was once jaded with relationships and the art of love. And now he has found this new woman that’s got him ready to love again.”
How did you go about finding the song to be our first single?
“That song was written by Jessie Fraser, Cary Barlow, and Brett Young. We spent a couple of days at Big Machine with [Rascal Flatts’] Jay DeMarcus listening to songs. Jay was such a big influence on everything through this whole process. He was on board, totally interested and totally committed to this project. We sat at Big Machine and listened to songs. I never knew about a plug meeting. They basically take all of these appointments throughout the day with various publishing companies. They come in and they play multiple songs from each publishing company. We heard some great material. Some of Nashville’s best writers. It was incredible, but as soon as I heard that song, ‘Love Again,’ I fell in love with it. It’s fun, it’s upbeat. It immediately went into my top five favorite songs. Big Machine asked me to turn those in and ‘Love Again’ was at the top of the list. It went up the chain of command and the man himself, Mr. Scott Borchetta, got to actually pick the song. He said, ‘I love ‘Love Again.’ Let’s do it.’ So, we were super excited.”
But you almost didn’t get to cut “Love Again,” correct?
“Well I have a really cool story about that. Fast forward about a week and a half and I get an email saying, ‘Unfortunately you can’t cut the song because Brett Young put it on hold for his next album.’ You’ve got to understand how disappointed we were. We are back to the drawing board now. It’s like, ‘Do we pick from the four others? Do we settle? I mean, what do we do?
“Fast forward another two weeks and we are in New York playing a show at a place called Printer’s Alley, and we played on a Wednesday night. Thursday we were supposed to fly out. Well, we get snowed in. A foot of snow drops. The next morning I get a call from my manager, Barbara, and she says, ‘Todd, guess who’s stuck in town with us? Guess who’s playing at Printer’s Alley, where you played last night? Brett Young.’ She said, ‘You should go and ask him and just talk to him.’ I said, ‘No way. It’s Brett Young.’ One, how am I going to get near him. And I can’t just go ask Brett Young for his song. Well, I did. I went to the show and I introduced myself. He was super nice through the whole thing and I told him about the contest. I told him who I was and who I was working with. We were under that Big Machine umbrella together. I said, ‘By the way, Brett, I really love your song, ‘Love Again.” He said, ‘Well, you should cut it.’ I was like, ‘Well I can’t.’ He said, ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Well you put it on hold, I can’t.’ And he said, ‘Todd, if you want that song and you are ready to cut, I want you to have it.’ It speaks volumes of his character really.”
Jay DeMarcus produced the single. He’s quite the jokester. How was it being in the studio with him?
“To get in the same room with Jay DeMarcus and learn that he is probably the funniest human being I know. I mean that guy is quick. He is witty, but hilarious. I say he missed his calling as a comedian. But at the same time, he maintains professionalism. What a talented guy. I watched him play on the record and just take an already wonderful song and coach me and make it even better. And it was through his vision that we were able to do so.”
So what comes next for Todd O’Neill?
“Well, I’m just kind of taking it all in. I am going to continue to work my tail off. This is when the hard work begins. This is when you get out and get a song on national radio. I am going to continue to write songs, continue to tour, and just look forward to playing new places and seeing new faces.”
Check out Todd’s Interview of Firsts with Nash Country Daily.
Few country music artists can claim a career spanning 50-plus years, but golden gal Loretta Lynn sure can. Since releasing her debut album, Loretta Lynn Sings, in 1963, the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” has been hard at work for more than a half-century doing what she loves: making music.
Loretta’s songs about the domestic hardships of women and cheating partners cemented her status as one of country music’s greatest singer/songwriters of all time, paving the way for future forward-thinking, button-pushing females like Patty Loveless, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves and others.
To commemorate Loretta’s 85th birthday today (April 14), we’re honoring her with 8.5 of her best songs (because we’d need a bigger staff for 85).
1. The first single Loretta ever released, 1960’s “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,” made it all the way to No. 14 on the country charts. At the time, she was signed to Zero Records out of Vancouver, British Columbia.
2. As much as she sang about her hardscrabble upbringing, Loretta was also unafraid to stick it to interloping women in hilarious, fierce tunes like “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” and “Fist City.”
3. Loretta’s 1975 “The Pill,” which was written by Lorene Allen, Don McHan and T.D. Bayless, was so controversial for its subject matter of birth control that many radio stations banned it and kept it from hitting No. 1 on the country charts. It went on to become the highest charting pop single of Loretta’s career.
4. In 1967, Loretta landed her first No. 1 song, and one of the most enduring of her career: “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind).” It was reportedly inspired by her husband’s struggles with alcoholism.
5. Loretta reached the top of the charts in 1970 with her autobiographical single, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” The 1980 film of the same name, which was based on Loretta’s autobiography, earned Sissy Spacek an Academy Award for Best Actress.
6. Songs like “Rated X,” which eviscerated the double standard around divorce for men and women, made Loretta a revered figure among feminists.
7. The last Top 10 hit that Loretta enjoyed was in 1982, with the song “I Lie.”
8. Van Lear Rose, Loretta’s Grammy-winning 2004 album, was produced by Jack White of revered rock bands The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. The album’s title track recalls her father’s stories about her mother and “how her beauty ran deep down to her soul.”
8.5. Loretta’s professional partnership with Conway Twitty resulted in five No. 1 hits between 1971 and 1975, including the Grammy-winning “After the Fire Is Gone.”
Listen to our “For Loretta Lynn’s 85th Birthday: 8.5 Songs That Prove She is the Baddest Woman in Country Music History” playlist on your preferred music service! Spotify – Apple Music – YouTube
main photo by Russ Harrington / Sony Music Nashville
“Out There”
