Loretta Lynn to Celebrate 50th Anniversary on Grand Ole Opry in Style
Country music legend Loretta Lynn is set to celebrate her 50th anniversary on the Grand Ole Opry on Sept. 25, and it’s shaping up to be a big all-star party. The ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’ singer will be joined by her sister, Crystal Gayle, as well as friends like Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, Trace Adkins, and Pistol Annies, who will be making their debut on the hallowed stage.
“There is no one at the Opry, in country music, or on Earth quite like Loretta Lynn,” Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher says (quote via Country Music Is Love). “Her influence as a recording artist and songwriter reaches across musical genres, cultures, and generations. She’s earned her place among America’s musical icons, and we look forward to celebrating 50 years of Opry membership with her next month.”
Lynn has said Ernest Tubb and the Wilburn Brothers were responsible for her first Opry appearance at the historic Ryman Auditorium, but claims all she can remember about the show itself is that she was tapping her foot. She performed her debut single, ‘I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,’ after which her husband said she exited the building exclaiming repeatedly, “I’ve sung on the Grand Ole Opry! I’ve sung on the Grand Ole Opry!”
The veteran entertainer was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry as a member on Sept. 25, 1962.