Country road to fame

THE songs, stories, stresses and strains of inspirational US country music pioneer Loretta Lynn are set to come to life on stages across Tasmania next month.

Coal Miner’s Daughter charts Lynn’s rise from humble beginnings in Kentucky to be recognised as the first “Queen of Country”.

Married at 15 and a grandmother at 29, Lynn recorded her breakthrough hit, Honky Tonk Girl, when she was 25. She soon came to the attention of her idol, Patsy Cline, and the pair struck up a close friendship as Lynn went on to become one of the most-awarded and highest-selling female artists ever.

In Coal Miner’s Daughter, Lynn is played by lookalike Adelaide country songstress Amber Joy Poulton, a singersongwriter with eight top-20 country hits to her name.

The show also features Brisbane-based musical theatre and cabaret star Lizzie Moore — who Hobart audiences may remember from the Festival of Voices or Carols by Candlelight — as Patsy Cline.

Award-winning bass player Denis “The Preacher” Surmon also appears, portraying both Lynn’s frequent collaborator Conway Twitty and Nashville’s top radio host, DJ Sleepydog.

Accompanied by his band The Holy Men, Surmon cranks out country classics including Coal Miner’s Daughter, Don’t Come Home A’Drinkin’ With Lovin’ On Your Mind, I Fall To Pieces, You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man, Crazy, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, Walkin’ After Midnight, You’re Lookin’ At Country, One’s On The Way, Stand By Your Man, After The Fire Is Gone and more.

Mario Maiolo presents Coal Miner’s Daughter across Tasmania next month: at Launceston’s Princess Theatre on October 24; the Devonport Town Hall Theatre on October 25; and at Hobart’s Theatre Royal on October 27 and 28.

All shows start at 7.30pm. Tickets are $42-$75, for bookings phone 6323 3666 (Launceston), 6420 2900 (Devonport), or 6233 2299 (Hobart).