Highwomen

Loretta Lynn tribute: Highwomen debuted, Jack White sung with Margo Price, more

The country music legend sat on the side of the stage with family and friends, beaming as a parade of performers played her biggest hits. They were classic songs that she not only recorded, but wrote herself.

It was also an early birthday party for Lynn, who will turn 87 on April 14. Onstage, she was given countless bouquets — and Keith Urban even popped out of an oversized cake to sing her “Happy Birthday” — but most of all, she was showered with praise and heartfelt tributes from everyone who held a microphone.

[…] Lynn didn’t step on stage or take a microphone until the final song of the three-hour show, when all of the guests joined together to sing her signature, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

It was touch and go at first: Lynn appeared to not wish to sing directly into the microphone. But after a couple of lines, she took the microphone from her sister, Crystal Gayle, and her voice grew stronger with each verse.

She was in full voice by the time the band changed keys, belting, “Yeah, I’m proud to be a a coal miner’s daughter.” She smiled as the crowd — a packed house at the arena — cheered in response, and stuck it through to the end with the encouragement of Tanya Tucker, who sang alongside her. [Tennessean]

Country legend Loretta Lynn gave her first performance since suffering a stroke in 2017 at her 87th birthday show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena last night (4/1). As the review above points out, she closed out the show with her song “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” joined on stage by several guests, but the night was mostly a tribute to Loretta, with performances from Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies (aka Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley), Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker, Margo Price, Alison Krauss, Jack White, and many others. Margo said that Loretta told her, “people always do tributes for artists after they’re dead and I want to be alive so I can have a say in who does it.”

Jack White performed “Have Mercy” and “Portland, Oregon,” which are both from the 2004 album Loretta Lynn album Van Lear Rose that he produced, and he brought out (a visibly pregnant) Margo Price to duet with him on the latter.

That wasn’t the only surprise of the night though. The show was also the live debut of The Highwomen, the new supergroup that Amanda Shires had been talking about. As originally teased, Brandi Carlile is a member, but Margo Price is not involved, contrary to the first interview Amanda Shires gave about the project. Maren Morris is a member though, and at this show they were also joined by Natalie Hemby to perform “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels.” Amanda’s husband Jason Isbell backed them on guitar.

Check out the full setlist from the show, and some videos, below.

Speaking of Jack White, The Raconteurs just announced their first album in over a decade.

Setlist (via Tennessean)
Martina McBride, “I’m a Honky-Tonk Girl”

Keith Urban, “Blue Kentucky Girl”

Kacey Musgraves, “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”

Miranda Lambert, “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)”

Pistol Annies, “Fist City”

Brandi Carlile, “She’s Got You”

Tanya Tucker, “While I’m Living”

Cam, “Rated X”

Margo Price, “One’s On The Way”

Darius Rucker, “The Pill”

Brandy Clark, “You’re Lookin’ At Country”

Randy Houser, “Wouldn’t It Be Great”

The Highwomen, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, “After The Fire Is Gone”

George Strait and Martina McBride, “Lead Me On”

George Strait, “Amarillo By Morning”

Little Big Town, “Making Believe”

Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack, “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”

Alan Jackson, “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)”

Alison Krauss, “It Is Well With My Soul”

Lee Ann Womack, “Everybody Wants to Go To Heaven”

John Carter Cash and Ana Cristina Cash, “Keep On The Sunny Side”

Crystal Gayle and Peggy Sue, “Sparkling Look of Love”

Crystal Gayle, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”

Holly Williams, “God Makes No Mistakes”

Jack White, “Have Mercy”

Jack White and Margo Price, “Portland, Oregon”

Loretta Lynn and All, “Coal Miner’s Daughter”