The “Queen of Country” received a royal send-off at the Grand Ole Opry when dozens of musicians gathered to honor Loretta Lynn, who died earlier this month at 90. Performers paid tribute to the varied facets of Lynn’s career with Margo Price performing her famously banned ode to birth control, “The Pill,” and Brandi Carlile singing “She’s Got You,” which Lynn originally performed in tribute to her late friend Patsy Cline. A last-minute addition to the program, Jack White performed a fervent take on “Van Lear Rose,” one of the songs he produced for Lynn on her standout 2004 album of the same name. White also showed an interview with Lynn about her song “Whispering Sea” as well as footage of the two singing the song.
The event, hosted by Jenna Bush Hager, included tributes from stars such as Kacey Musgraves, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and Sissy Spacek, who spoke about Lynn’s influence and their relationships with her. Other performers included country legends Tanya Tucker, Wynonna Judd, and Alan Jackson. (Many of the musicians had also performed at Lynn’s 87th birthday, which she’d organized.) Lynn’s own family was in attendance as well with her granddaughter Emmy Russell and Willie Nelson’s son Lukas singing Lynn and Nelson’s own duet, “Lay Me Down.” The night concluded, of course, with supergroup the Highwomen (and Brittney Spencer filling in for Maren Morris) trading verses on Lynn’s signature song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
