3 Last Performances by Female Country Icons

For every beginning, there is an end. It’s a fact of life, albeit a sad one. But we can’t have new things without having some sense of finality along with it, too. That goes for everything in life, including country music. The final curtain call comes for everyone, whether we know it in real time or not. You can only hope you get one final bow to soak it all in. Below, we wanted to explore three examples of just that. Three final shows from three eternal country artists. These are the final times they performed on stage and the final songs they sang. Indeed, these are three of the last performances by three female country icons.

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Patsy Cline

Born in Winchester, Virginia, on September 8, 1932, Patsy Cline grew up to become one of the most iconic country singers not only from her era but of all time. Sadly, Cline died young, passing away at just 30 years old on March 5, 1963. She died in a plane crash outside of Camden, Tennessee. But just before that event, Cline performed a new tune, “I’ll Sail My Ship Alone”, at the end of a show in Kansas City. A remarkable title for a song at the end of a person’s life. It also was Cline’s final song she ever recorded.

Loretta Lynn

Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, on April 14, 1932, Loretta Lynn later moved to the Pacific Northwest where she wrote and recorded her first songs on a guitar her husband bought her. She lived a long life, passing away at 90 years old in 2022 in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. In between, she became famous for songs like “The Pill” and “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)”. But her last full show happened in April of 2017 in Tarrytown, N.Y. For that gig, she finished with her song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. She died six months later, making that show in Tarrytown the last of her performances.

Naomi Judd

Born in Ashland, Kentucky, on January 11, 1946, the matriarch of the Judd family, Naomi Judd passed away on April 30, 2022, in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. She was 76 years old. Her final show came on April 11, 2022, just weeks before she took her own life. On that day, she performed with her family at the CMT Awards, singing the now-chilling song, “Love Will Build a Bridge”, with her daughter Wynonna. This entry on our list of last performances was meant to announce a new tour—the Judds’ final one—but that, of course, never took place.

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