Introduction:
“We absolutely lost one of the greatest that there ever was and will be,” Pearce shared from the Opry stage.
It was an emotional Tuesday night at the Grand Ole Opry as artists such as Jeannie Seeely, Chris Young, and Carly Pearce took the stage just hours after the death of country music icon Loretta Lynn.
Tuesday’s show turned into a celebration of Lynn’s life and contributions to country music as several artists paid homage to her during the show.
One of those tributes came from Grand Ole Opry member Carly Pearce, who took the stage to perform her song “Dear Miss Loretta” in honor of the late country music trailblazer.
“We absolutely lost one of the greatest that there ever was and will be and as I stand here tonight I feel overwhelmed with just the legacy and the beauty that she is and she was,” Pearce shared from the stage.
She went on to share the story of “Dear Miss Loretta” and her amazement over the fact that Lynn herself heard the song.
“And she heard me, which is quite crazy to me. I played this song on the Opry stage I debuted it, just like I’m going to do it tonight. Loretta happened to be watching the live stream of the Grand Ole Opry and heard me sing this song and I’ve never played this for anybody publicly, but I felt like tonight standing in the Opry stage and in the circle that the honky-tonk Angel, which she is now officially a honky-tonk angel, that maybe she wants me to do this. So, this is a message that I got from Loretta Lynn last year.”
Holding her phone, Pearce hit play on the voicemail message and Lynn’s voice played through the Opry house.
“Hi Carly, this is Loretta honey, I’m laying here in bed just taking it easy and I’m fixing to get up to wash my face and maybe comb my hair,” Lynn could be heard saying with a laugh. “I don’t know, I ain’t got no place to go, have I?”
Lynn’s message continued, “Anyway I love your song, thank you, sweetheart. I love you, honey. Hey, come and see me sometime!”
Pearce, who appeared to be holding back tears, then shared, “I’ve listened to that message a lot today and if that does not capture the purest form and the essence of her beautiful soul, I don’t know what else does. So, I love you too Loretta and I’m going to sing your song tonight.”
“Dear Miss Loretta” appears on Pearce’s critically acclaimed album, 29: Written In Stone and includes special guest vocals from Patty Loveless. The song was co-written by Pearce alongside Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark and serves as a letter from Pearce to Loretta Lynn
“I ain’t a coal miner’s daughter/ But my grandmother was/ Must be whiskey in the water/ Must be bourbon in the blood/ I’m a long way from Kentucky/ But the hurtin’s the same/ Now I know why you sang that way,” Pearce sings on the chorus.
The reigning ACM and CMA Female Artist/Vocalist Of The Year debuted the song on the Opry stage in March of 2021.
As a fellow Kentucky girl, Loretta Lynn’s music had a major impact on Carly Pearce and her music.