Before she became a country star in her own right with hits like “Five Minutes” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” Lorrie Morgan was one of five children growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, with her father, Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry alum George Morgan. Even Lorrie’s name is a tribute to her country roots. “Lorrie” is short for Loretta Lynn.
Videos by American Songwriter
Living with a famous father has the potential for significant downsides, like erratic or absent behavior. But in a 2024 interview with Country Stars Central, Lorrie described her father as anything but. In fact, what she considered “more than punishment” was a testament to George’s gentle parenting style.
Lorrie Morgan Remembers Her Father, George Morgan
Country crooner George Morgan’s most notable hit came in 1949 with “Candy Kisses,” which topped the Billboard country music charts for nearly a month straight. And frankly, his parenting style (according to one of his five daughters, fellow country singer Lorrie Morgan) was as sweet as his most memorable hit. “He was the light of my life,” Lorrie said in a 2024 interview with Country Stars Central. “He did no wrong in my eyes, was a perfect gentleman. Funny. He was a great dad.”
Growing up in the 1960s, before gentle parenting was the norm, spanking was common in many family homes. Lorrie said that was never her father’s style. “[There] was always that look in his eyes where he’d tear up if I did something wrong. And I knew I had just broken my dad’s heart, and that was more punishment to me than a belt. I’d rather be p***ed off, and then I got a whooping, than see me break my dad’s heart.”
Lorrie described her father as “everybody’s friend. When my dad was around, there was a party. And you know, I never saw him take a drink of alcohol ever. He always drank coffee and smoked Camel cigarettes, and that’s probably what did him in at 51 years old. But he just loved people around him all the time and his children and his wife.”
The Singer Sometimes Struggled Under Her Dad’s Shadow
Lorrie Morgan’s personal relationship with her father might have been loving and sweet. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t encounter her fair share of challenges growing up with a chart-topping recording artist as her dad. These conflicts became especially evident after she began pursuing a professional music career of her own. “Everybody in the business loved my dad, and it was really hard for me to follow those footsteps. I was kind of a little rebel. It was kinda hard for me to follow those huge footsteps of my dad’s.”
For whatever it’s worth, the daughter of the two country stars eventually surpassed her father in terms of No. 1 singles. George Morgan’s one and only hit was “Candy Kisses.” His daughter, meanwhile, scored three No. 1 hits nearly five decades later with “Five Minutes,” “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” and “What Part of No.”
Photo by John D. Shearer/Shutterstock
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.