That's Loretta Lynn!

That's Loretta Lynn!
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

Lucy's pix came back from our trip to Owensboro to see the First Lady of Country Music, Loretta Lynn! Mom and Bill were kind enough to pick up the tickets. Thanks!

So she played technically at The Big E, Owensboro silently suffering flagship hotel. I expected the show to be in the Showroom Lounge (where I saw BB King when I was a whippersnapper). But, in fact, Loretta played this big concrete slab convention center type space. Not at all ideal for the Queen! Still, she owned the place. And she looked great doing it. You shoulda seen the dress. Jeezus!

We were in the VIP section, which meant, along with our stacking chairs, we got a folding table, some chex mix, a velvet rope to separate us from the ruffians (oh wait—it was all ruffians), and an unobstructed 20-foot view of the show. Can you say 'awesome?'

Favorite moments:

• Loretta gently curbs a woman who brings a pen and a book up for her to sign mid-song: "Honey, I can't sign that right now. If I did, they'd throw me out, and I wouldn't get paid! And y'all wouldn't get to hear me sing!"
• Loretta plops down in a standard-issue stacking chair, center stage, prom dress 'n' all, and discusses her health: "My nose is runnin… anybody got a kleenex?" With visibly shaking hand ("ohmigod! I'm giving Loretta Lynn a kleenex!), a woman in the front hands her a travel pack. Loretta thanks her, keeps talking, and after some fumbling, exclaims, almost indignant: "Well, I can't open these! Somebody open these!" and passes them off to her keyboard player.
• On separate shouts from the audience to play "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "Van Lear Rose," (the latter from me) Loretta shoots back, "I don't like that song." At the end she mock-begrudgingly goes into CMD, sighing, with resignation: "Alright. Here y'go..."

It was a great time! Thank you, Mom and Bill for helping Lucy and I to fulfill a dream!