Loretta Lynn declares country music as ‘dead’ as she denounces the genre’s push towards pop
Country legend Loretta Lynn thinks country music is ‘dead.’
The 87-year-old musician denounced the decline of the genre yesterday, calling it ‘ridiculous’ to let the ‘push to crossover’ dominate the genre.
‘I don’t care what any kind of music it is. Rock, country, whatever. I think it’s a shame to let it die, and I’m here to start feeding it,’ she told fellow country talent Martina McBride on her podcast Vocal Point With Martina McBride.
Mourning: Loretta Lynn declared the genre of country dead during a recent podcast interview. She’s seen in 2016 above
‘I’m not happy at all, the Coal Miner’s Daughter singer said. ‘I think that they’re completely losing it. And I think that’s a sad situation because we should never let country music die. I think that every type of music should be saved, and country is one of the greatest. It’s been around, as far as I’m concerned, longer than any of it.’
‘I’m getting mad about it. I am. Because it’s ridiculous,’ the icon went on.
Loretta later took to Facebook to elaborate, writing: ‘Well, it seems I made a big stir with this one!’
‘…Y’all know I say what I think when I think it! I love country music and I’m so proud of the rich heritage of our kind of music. Real country tells our stories, comes from our hearts, and gets us through life.’
Causing a fuss: Loretta later took to Facebook to elaborate, writing: ‘Well, it seems I made a big stir with this one!’
She explained how she wasn’t dissing new artists, but more focusing on the pressure to evolve the genre.
‘My main point to Martina is that there’s such a hard push to crossover and change it up, and do something new that we can lose what country music really is all about,’ Loretta went on.
The legend billed herself as a traditionalist, going on: ‘I like it country – pure, simple, and real!
Loretta still sent her love to those ‘keeping it country’ with their sound, writiing: ‘I am so proud of all the artists out there, especially the younger ones, who know what I mean and are still keeping it country.
Icon: Loretta, who began her country career in the early 60s, has been open about her feelings towards country/pop hybrids. She’s seen in 1960 above
‘When you love something you can’t just stand by quietly if you think it’s in danger. One thing’s for sure, if we keep it country, the fans will keep on listening, I know in my heart that it’s what they want!’
She tagged to post writing: #TellItLikeISeeIt, #KeepingItCountry, #OldSchool, and #IfYoureEyesAreOnMe – a reference to lyrics from her song You’re Looking At Country.
Loretta, who began her country career in the early 60s, has been open about her feelings towards country/pop hybrids.
In the introduction to her reissued biography, Coal Miner’s Daughter, she wrote: ‘Some of these country singers aren’t really country … I think some of them should be singing pop music and leave country alone.’
Health: Lynn’s statement comes amid troubling heath for the octogenarian, who had a stroke in 2017
Lynn’s statement comes amid troubling heath for the octogenarian.
She suffered a stroke in 2017 and broke her hip just a year later.
Her last public appearance was in 2019, at an All-Star Birthday Celebration for the star in Nashville, Tennessee.