NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An icon, a legend, a pioneer. All could be fitting titles for country music's Loretta Lynn, who died Tuesday at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
She was 90.
But her dearest friends don't want you to forget, she was a real person too.
"As a friend and as someone who knew her very well, we’re all devastated by losing Loretta," said Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys.
"She was Loretta Lynn no matter where you saw her," said Duane Allen, also of The Oak Ridge Boys.
"You know the shows were fun, but the fun times were always backstage. Or sitting on the bus and hearing her share stories or tell a joke or just laughing. She had a wicked sense of humor," said country musician T.G. Sheppard. "And I loved the fact Loretta never had a filter when it came to saying things."
"We can’t tell you the things that we know," joked Kelly Lang, a country musician and wife of Sheppard.
Lang idolized Loretta from a young age, and that only grew as she paved the way for other female artists. "She is the rock, she is the reason that any woman singer has any opportunity, including myself," said Lang.
The Oak Ridge Boys first met Loretta in the early 70s. They, like everyone else, were drawn to her songs.
"She wrote some songs from her heart about herself and laid it all out there. Laid it on the line in her music and I think that’s one of the things people appreciated about her. She was so real," said Bonsall.
They especially were impressed with her controversial hit about contraceptives, "The Pill."
"I remember when that was released. There were stations that were questionable about even playing it, you know. It didn’t bother her. She went ahead and wrote what she wanted to write," said Allen.
"At the time that was like what — nobody wanted to talk out loud about that, but she was brave, she was a brave woman, and she took an opportunity to help other people through her bravery," said Lang.
Lang tells NewsChannel 5, it was that raw honesty that made her the perfect companion.
"Very affectionate. When you were in her presence, she was kissing on you or patting on you the whole time like a grandmother. You were the only one in the room. You felt like the only person that mattered to her, even if she had thousands of people screaming her name outside, if she was in conversation with you, that was exactly what she was planning on doing until she was completed," said Lang.
"What a legacy she’s left behind musically for us to enjoy forever," added Sheppard.
This is why, of all the titles you could give Loretta Lynn, those who knew her best would probably choose a friend.
"When you reach a certain age, you’re not surprised by someone’s passing but at the same time, you’re never ready. And nobody’s ready for Loretta to go," said Lang.
