After six decades in the entertainment business, country music icon Loretta Lynn has been named the subject of the newest exhibit at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in honor of her immense contributions to the genre.
The exhibit will highlight Lynn’s extraordinary career in every aspect, including the spotlighting of costumes, heirlooms, as well as personal material collected during her singing career. The exhibit will open on August 25 of this year and will run through June 2018.
“I am so happy the Country Music Hall of Fame has asked me to be one of their main exhibits in 2017… gonna show off my 50 some odd years in country music,” Lynn said according to Rolling Stone. “They best have a big space… I have a lot of stuff!”
Lynn has been a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1988, is a three-time Grammy Award winner (with a possible fourth win this year where she’s nominated in the country album category), has a massive collection of 16 No.1 hits, and has took home eight CMA Awards. The Queen of Country Music’s life was documented in the critically acclaimed film, Coal Miner’s Daughter.
The biographical film was released in 1980 telling the complete story of the country singer’s life. Actress Sissy Spacek earned an Academy Award for “Best Actress” following her portrayal of Lynn. The film is an adaptation of Lynn’s 1976 autobiography and made its theatrical debut when she was 48 years old.
The story begins with a 13-year-old Loretta Webb and her seven brothers and sisters growing up on a coal miner’s salary, living a life of poverty in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. The film transitions to 15-year-old Loretta marrying 22-year-old Oliver Vanetta Lynn, becoming a mother of four by the time she’s 19. Coal Miner’s Daughter ends with Lynn’s 1969 performance of “Coal Miner’s Daughter” to a sold-out audience.
In addition to Lynn, the museum announced exhibits centered around country singers Jason Aldean and Shania Twain. Aldean’s exhibit is set to open May 26, with Twain’s opening a month after on June 26. The museum will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year and holds a collection of 2.5 million artifacts documenting the history of country music. Forthcoming events in celebration of the golden anniversary are soon to be announced in the upcoming months of 2017.
So what do you think about the big news? Will you be attending the exhibit? Let us know in the comments and check out her 1971 performance of her signature song in the video below!