Loretta Lynn Begins Recording

Lynn came to the attention of Zero Records, a small firm in nearby Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The label signed her in February 1960 and sent her to Los Angeles to cut four songs. After the session, she and Mooney stayed until the records were pressed and then mailed them to country radio stations. Loretta and Mooney then hit the road for Nashville, stopping at stations along the way to promote her rendition of “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” The record began getting airplay and reached #14 on the country music charts in 1960. On the strength of this hit Lynn gained a first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, on September 17, 1960.

One of Lynn’s first stops in Music City was the office of the Wilburn Brothers. Teddy and Doyle Wilburn were a top country vocal duo whose enterprises included a music publishing company, a booking agency, a syndicated television program, and a touring show. Recognizing her talent, Doyle Wilburn made her a part of the Wilburns’ road show and a regular on their television series. He eventually secured Lynn’s release from Zero Records and persuaded Decca Records, for which the Wilburns recorded, to sign her. Later, Lynn’s desire to assume full control of her career led to conflicts with the Wilburns. A lawsuit settled matters, and eventually they resumed their friendship.

Two years after “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,” Lynn began scoring additional hits, including “Success,” “Before I’m Over You,” and “Blue Kentucky Girl.” But it wasn’t until she wrote and recorded “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and “Don’t Come Home a’Drinkin’ (with Lovin’ on Your Mind)” that Lynn’s music took a new direction. Her songs became more assertive, and the country girl from the Kentucky hills, who was raising a family of six, spoke more boldly and forcefully than many would have expected. Still, the humor of songs such as “Fist City” and “Your Squaw Is on the Warpath” kept her from alienating her audience.

Lynn was the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1967, 1972, and 1973. What’s more, she began appearing on television variety programs and talk shows that had rarely featured country music performers because of her natural wit and vivacity. By the end of the 1960s, Lynn’s brother, Jay Lee Webb, and her sisters Peggy Sue and Crystal Gayle also had become country recording artists.