Carrie Underwood Recalls the First Time She Met Country Icon Loretta Lynn at the Grand Ole Opry

Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest stars in country music today. However, there’s a chance that she wouldn’t be where she is today without the trailblazers who came before her. Ladies like Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, Dolly Parton, and more recently Reba McEntire paved the way for female artists of the modern age.

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More than being a trailblazing country legend, Lynn was a class act who was quick to give younger artists praise and advice while making them feel like old friends. When the legend passed away in on October 4, 2022, Underwood took to social media to mourn her passing and tell her fans and followers about the first time she met the Coal Miner’s Daughter.

[RELATED: American Songwriter Throwback: 2011 Q&A with Honky Tonk Girl Loretta Lynn]

Carrie Underwood Recalls Metting Loretta Lynn

“The first time I met Loretta Lynn was at the Grand Ole Opry at the beginning of my career. I was chatting in the corner with another artist and someone walked behind me and smacked me on the rear end!” Carrie Underwood wrote in the post.  “I turned around and there she was, in a big sparkly dress laughing as she continued to walk down the hall at what she had just done,” she added.

Underwood went on to say that this is one of her favorite stories to share because it captures Lynn’s personality so well.  “She was a cantankerous little pistol, friendly and sweet, never afraid to be herself and speak her mind,” she explained.

Underwood recalled singing to and with Lynn in some of the “most special” moments of her career. Then, she shared how much the Coal Miner’s Daughter meant to her and the rest of the country music world. “She is irreplaceable,” Underwood wrote. “She will be incredibly missed but her legacy lives on in those of us whom she has influenced. I am truly grateful to have known such an amazing woman and artist,” she continued.

The “Jesus Take the Wheel” singer concluded her post with a message to Lynn. “Thank you, Loretta, for showing us how it’s done. May you Rest In Peace in the arms of Jesus and add your heavenly voice to the angel choir. Love you!”

Featured Image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music

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