~*Cherokee Rose*~: March 2008

http://www.flashdemo.net/gallery/wake/index.htm

If you never watch another.....watch this this Please

From: a Soldier in Iraq
Lyrics
If I die before you wake...

Back home now I know you're probably sleepin'
Over here it's the middle of the day
I finally found the time to write a letter
Sittin' here a half a world away

I heard about all them folks protestin'
As if I really want this war
But that don't stop me from believin'
There's just some things worth fightin' for

CHORUS
And if I die before you wake,
I pray the world will take
A good look at what God's given us
That we could only understand,
everything is in his hands
All we need is a little faith and trust
I want you to know it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

Tell everybody that I miss them
And I can't wait to get back home
But until then I'll serve my country
And be proud to wear this uniform

CHORUS
No it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

I felt compelled to create a blog of my most favorite of all time Idols...Mrs.Loretta Lynn.
I have had the honor of meeting her in person,and been to several of her shows.I have a great deal of admiration for her and have followed her growing up,her beautiful music playing all throughout our house with her powerful voice.I am proud to say i own every one of her songs and several albums.If you ever get the chance to see her perform...you won't regret it.

Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Holler, KY,

on April 14, 1935. The second of eight children

born to Ted and Clara Webb, Loretta was

welcomed with open arms by the young couple.

With her parents blessing and encouragement,

young Loretta soon found her voice and a place

where it would be appreciated. During the first

twelve years of her life, she sang in churches

and at a variety of local concerts.

At thirteen she attended a pie social, bringing a pie she had baked using salt instead of sugar. The highest bidder not only won the pie but also got to meet the girl who had baked the pie.

At age thirteen, Loretta married Oliver "Mooney"
Lynn(aka. Doolittle or Doo, or “Mooney” for moonshine), a handsome 21-year-old fresh from the service who swept the young Loretta Webb off her feet. . Within the first few months of marriage,The couple married when Loretta was barely 14.

Mooney and Loretta's brother, Jay Lee Web, Jr.,

hitchhiked to Washington looking for work.

Fourteen year old pregnant Loretta stayed

behind until Mooney sent money and a train

ticket several months later.

Settled into a new state, fourteen year old

Loretta gave birth to her first child, Betty Sue, in

Custer, WA. As a young mother and housewife,

Loretta stopped singing publicly, and shared

her passion for music with her young daughter,

singing to her regularly.

By the time she was seventeen, Loretta had four

children. Inspired by his wife's vocal abilities,

Mooney bought his wife a guitar on her

eighteenth birthday, and Loretta began to teach

herself to play. Within a few months, Loretta

was writing her own music and with her

husband's encouragement, she began singing

with a local band on the weekends.

Loretta's big break came when Mooney entered

her in a local talent contest. Not only did she

win, but she also received a personal invitation

from Buck Owens to perform on his television

show. Her performance was well received and

caught the attention of Zero Records, who

immediately contacted her and offered a

recording deal. Loretta flew to LA in 1960, and

recorded one of her own songs, "I'm A Honky

Tonk Girl." Zero Records was a small firm and

didn't have the money to promote Loretta's new

single, so Mooney decided to do it himself. He

and Loretta began mailing the record across the

country, where it landed in the hands of radio

station owners and disc jockeys. Mooney then

packed the family and headed for Nashville,

where he hoped he and Loretta could plug the

record at local radio stations. The song was hit

even before they reached Nashville. The single

eventually climbed as high as number fourteen

on the charts.

Loretta's first single attracted the attention of

the Wilburn Brothers, who hired her to tour with

them in 1960. After pleading with her to relocate

to Nashville, Loretta and family moved to the

city in 1960. A year later, she became a regular

member of the Grand Ole Opry, had a number

one hit album, and gave birth to twin girls.

It didn't take long for Nashville to grab on to the

rising star. Loretta was offered a record deal

with Decca Records, and accepted. "Success,"

Loretta's first single with Decca Records was

released in 1962, and climbed all the way to

number six. For the next decade, Loretta

released honky tonk hit after hit, all of them

reaching the Top Ten List.

In 1966, longing for her own sound, Loretta

strayed from Honky Tonk, and began recording

singles that she had written. Over the course of

the next four years, Lynn pulled in 13 Top Ten

hits, and was hailed the best country music

lyricist ever.

In 1970, Loretta became the first ever female

country artist to receive a gold album. Conway

Twitty and Loretta formed a partnership and

released 5 successful hit songs. They were

awarded Duo of the Year by the Country Music

Association, and released seven more Top Ten

hits.

In the mid 1970s, Loretta put pen to paper,

writing the autobiography, "Coal Miner's

Daughter." Six years later, in 1976, Loretta's

book became a New York Times best seller. The

book would eventually be adapted to the screen

in 1980, and become a critically acclaimed hit

with Sissy Spacek winning an Oscar for her

performance. While the movie and the movie's

theme song climbed the charts, Loretta became

the only female country to to appear on the

cover of Newsweek, in 1973.

Despite her immense popularity as a result of

the movie, Lynn's never regained her popularity

in the music world. Her concerts were well

attended, but record sales were down. She had

two Top Ten hits in the he 1980s and was

elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, but

still made the decision to back away from the

recording studio, so that she could focus her

efforts on performances.

Today, Loretta is a successful businesswoman

who owns her own music publishing company.

She also owns and operates a "Dude Ranch" and

campground in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee,

featuring a plantation styled home that is an

exact replica of her childhood home.

http://www.lorettalynn.com/ranch/
You can get all things Loretta here
http://www.lorettalynn.com/shop/

Loretta continues to perform across the United States,

and has released several singles. Loretta and

Mooney's children take turns balancing the

responsibilities of the Loretta Lynn Ranch and

Campgrounds in Tennessee.