Born in Kentucky on This Day 94 Years Ago, the Outspoken Country Star Who Became the First Woman To Win Entertainer of the Year

On this day (April 14) in 1932, Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. She started singing in clubs in her early 20s before beginning her recording career. After arriving in Nashville, Lynn started making hits almost immediately. Before long, she was dominating the country charts and winning multiple awards. Notably, she was the first woman to take home the Entertainer of the Year trophy at the CMA Awards.

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Lynn’s early life doesn’t look like the blueprint for success. She was poorly educated and got married at just 15 years old. A year later, she was pregnant with her first child. At the same time, she was almost constantly singing around the house, inspired by Kitty Wells. Before long, her husband, Doolittle Lynn, bought her a guitar and convinced her to perform publicly. This led to a string of gigs in local bars.

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According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Lynn signed her first recording contract in 1960. She inked the deal with the Canadian label Zero Records. The label sent her to Los Angeles to record her first single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” Soon, she and her husband were on their way to Nashville, stopping at radio stations along the way to promote the single, which eventually reached No. 14. This led to an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, a spot with the Wilburn Brothers’ road show. Eventually, her partnership with the Wilburns led to a deal with Decca Records.

After signing with Decca, Lynn started working with producer Owen Bradley. In 1962, she notched her first top 10 single with “Success.” Four years later, she landed her first No. 1 with “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (with Lovin’ on Your Mind).” It was the first of 24 chart-topping singles.

Loretta Lynn Was Outspoken

One of the things that made Loretta Lynn so popular was the honesty in her songwriting. She wasn’t just a songwriter and recording artist. She was also a mother with multiple children. Lynn’s marriage was also tumultuous. It was from this perspective that she wrote many of her songs.

She pulled iconic hits like “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Fist City,” and “One’s on the Way” from her life. These songs spoke to women who were dealing with the same issues. However, Lynn wrote and sang them with enough wit and humor that they didn’t alienate the men who listened to her.

This ability to walk the line between accessible and outspoken helped her become one of the most popular and influential stars of her time. It also helped her net a long list of awards.

Loretta Lynn won multiple Grammy Awards and, at one time, was the most awarded artist in the history of the Academy of Country Music. One of her most notable achievements, though, came from the Country Music Association. In 1972, she became the first woman to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year.

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