Lyric: Fill my glass up to the brim, to lose my memory of him
Song: Loretta Lynn – “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl”
Album: I’m A Honky Tonk Girl (1960)
Background: When taking a look back at some of country music’s legends and icons, too often is the importance of women overlooked in the genre’s history. One of the most famous female country icons is the unapologetically honest Loretta Lynn. The Kentucky native burst onto the country music scene at a time where women took a back seat to men in Nashville. Lynn’s 1960 debut single “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl” prompted her immediate success, largely due to the independent promotion by herself and her husband. The single was so well received, it caught the attention of the Grand Ole Opry and ultimately, Decca Records, who signed Lynn to her first record deal in 1961. “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl” was never officially released on an album until 1994 on a box set of Lynn’s hits titled Honky Tonk Girl: The Loretta Lynn Collection.
Lynn’s impact on country music stretches far beyond just the scope of female achievements. However, her importance to women in the industry cannot go unrecognized. Her voice of strength, independence and defiance paved the way for many of country music’s greats in the ’80s, ’90s and modern day. Since Lynn began her career, she has shown that women in Nashville make some of the best music regardless of how much country radio refuses to promote it.
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