Country music royalty.
There’s not really much I can say about the legendary Loretta Lynn the hasn’t already been said. The legacy that she left behind as a pioneer not just for women in country music but for traditional country music in general is one that’s going to be tough to match for any artist. But her granddaughter, Tayla Lynn, is doing her best to keep the music of her “memaw” going for a new generation.
Tayla began performing with her grandmother at a young age, and knows how much country music – and her fans – meant to Loretta Lynn:
“After my grandfather passed away in the late ’90s, she had been taking care of him for years, she had been off the road… And when we went back out on the road, she had this big white ball gown on, and she sang a song called ‘Here I Am Again.’ And she started bawling crying…
I would watch her sing that song and cry every night on that tour, and the fans cry with her, and I realized then what the stage was for her, which was her safe place and her home. And I realized that her fans held her up in the most heartbreaking time of her life, and it was just one of those realizations, like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is where she’s able to really feel exactly what she feels, is out here with her fans singing this music.’
It was the first time I saw her shed a tear in months and months and months of being at home. She waited until she got with her fans.”
Knowing how much Loretta’s fans meant to her no doubt gives Tayla a sense of responsibility to carry on that legacy. And part of that is keeping her grandmother’s music alive.
Tayla is gearing up to release her upcoming album Singin’ Loretta on May 30, a heartfelt tribute album that features 11 of her grandmother’s songs, from the biggest hits to some underrated deep cuts.
And today, we’re pumped to bring you the first listen of one of Loretta’s biggest hits, “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind).”
The song was originally released in 1967, and became Loretta Lynn’s first #1 single, a staple of her live shows, and ultimately one of her signature songs. And Tayla says it’s still one that fans are excited to hear in her own live shows:
“When I do it live, that seems to be the one that people, especially the women, just sing every word to.”
Of course it’s not hard to see why: The empowering women’s anthem is one of many songs in Loretta’s catalog that broke through at a time when much of country music was dominated by male artists, giving a voice to the women’s perspective that up to that point hadn’t been showcased on the radio. (And let’s be honest, guys are still coming home after drinkin’ with lovin’ on their mind, so not much has changed there – it’s no surprise that it’s still relatable after all these years).
Now, I know any time somebody covers a classic song like this it’s easy to compare the new version to the original. And especially in this age of social media and instant feedback, people can be quick to criticize, especially when it’s such a well-known song.
But Tayla isn’t trying to “copy” her grandmother: She’s her own artist, paying tribute to one of the legends in country music who happens to be family. And of course she got some pretty good advice on how to perform her memaw’s songs:
“When we were living together, she would dress me up and we would put that record player on and go through her hundreds of albums, and she would teach me how to sing the songs…
I would Facetime her and she would watch me perform, and I would come home and she would critique it. She had such a hand in that. That’s why I think I really stand in it. Because she said, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ She was happy to tell me what I wasn’t doing right, so she had her stamp of approval on what I’m doing.”
There’s no doubt Loretta would give her stamp of approval to this one too – and who better to perform her grandmother’s songs and keep her amazing legacy alive?
‘Singin’ Loretta’ Track List:
01. I Wanna Be Free
02. Rated “X”
03. There He Goes
04. Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)
05. When The Tingle Becomes A Chill
06. One’s On The Way
07. Blue Kentucky Girl
08. You’re Lookin’ At Country
09. She’s Got You
10. Out Of My Head And Back In My Bed
11. The Titanic
