Celebrating the queens of country

MARION McMULLEN takes a look at why rhinestones reign in the music business

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Country queen Loretta Lynn has died at the age of 90. The mother-of-six grew up in poverty and launched her career in the early 1960s with hits like Coal Miner’s Daughter, You Ain’t Woman Enough and You’re Looking At Country. She was known for appearing in floor-length gowns often decorated with rhinestones. Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for her portrayal of her in the 1980 film The Coal Miner’s Daughter. 2

Loretta’s younger sister Crystal Gayle has also made her mark in country music with songs like Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue. Born Brenda Gail Webb, the 71-year-old was the youngest of eight siblings and wrote on Twitter this week: “The world lost a legend. We lost a sister.” 3

US country legend Dolly Parton said she considered

Loretta to be like a sister, adding “I miss her dearly”.

Dolly also grew up in poverty before conquering the charts with songs like Jolene and I Will Always Love You and starring in films like 9 To 5. The 76-year-old made her fiction debut this year with Run Rose Run, co-written with bestselling author James Patterson. 4

Tammy Wynette, who died in 1998 aged 55, is one of the most successful female country music artists and is best known for UK No1 single Stand by Your Man and D-I-V-OR-C-E. Born Virginia Wynette Pugh, she was known as the First Lady of Country Music and was married five times. 5

Influential singer Patsy Cline had a major hit with Crazy but tragically died in 1963 in a plane crash when she was just 30. She had been on her way home to Nashville after a memorial concert. Jessica Lange later played her in the

biopic Sweet Dreams.

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Brenda Lee is inducted in both the Rock Hall and Country Hall of Fame and has enjoyed success with songs like I’m Sorry and Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree. Now aged 77, she began singing when she was three and said “my love of singing was always there”. 7

LeAnn Rimes turned 40 this year and was just 13 when she brought out her first country song, Blue. She has gone on to sell millions of records worldwide but once said: “I’ve worked very hard for everything I have and nothing has come easy.” 8 Emmylou Harris has enjoyed numerous country hits including Sweet Dreams and Two More Bottles Of Wine. The 75year-old said: “I was a folk singer who became totally over the edge with country music. I found my voice and style working with Gram Parsons.”

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American country singer and actress Reba McEntire was five when she began her musical career and used to perform with her siblings as the Singing McEntires. She once said: “To succeed in life you need three things – a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.”

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American Idol winner Carrie Underwood has won multiple Grammy Awards and brought out new album Denim & Rhinestones this year. The singer-songwriter also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has sold more than 65 million records worldwide.

She said: “How does a girl from Checotah, Oklahoma, end up getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? I will tell you how – belief.”

Loretta Lynn