How Cracker Barrel Honored Loretta Lynn's Legacy
On October 4, iconic country star Loretta Lynn passed away in her sleep at 90 years old (via AP News). After her death, her family confirmed that she died peacefully in her Hurricane Mills, Tennessee ranch. Lynn became one of the first female country stars to sing about sex, divorce, and even topics that were controversial at her time, such as birth control. "It was what I wanted to hear and what I knew other women wanted to hear, too," she told the outlet about her music's content. "I didn't write for the men; I wrote for us women. And the men loved it, too."
After her passing, the Country Music Awards honored Loretta Lynn by playing some of her top hits performed by Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Reba McEntire (per NPR). In 1972, she made history at the same award show as the first woman to win Entertainer of the Year (via The Boot). A trophy honoring her country music success was expected, but a few years ago, she won another award that might have surprised a few people.
The award celebrated 50 years of the restaurant
In 2019, Cracker Barrel teamed up with Trisha Yearwood to present Loretta Lynn with the Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award (via Cracker Barrel). The award was presented at Lynn's home as part of the Five Decades, One Voice program. Lynn was the inspiration behind the program, which intends to "celebrate iconic female country music artists" as well as showcase up-and-comers to the industry. "Loretta laid the groundwork for future generations, especially emerging females in the country music industry. There is no one more deserving, and we're grateful for her continued partnership," Cracker Barrel's senior music manager Julie Ulmer said.
Furthermore, the Five Decades, One Voice program shines a light on the fact that male country artists receive more air time than their female counterparts, via Sounds like Nashville. In a video series released by Cracker Barrel, numerous lesser-known female artists were mentored by the top female artists in the industry. At the start of the series was none other than Loretta Lynn, kicking it off. She explained, "For more than five decades, I've believed in taking chances where the opportunity for success is limited."
For country fans everywhere, the artist will be deeply missed.