5 Monumental Moments From Loretta Lynn’s 87th Birthday Concert [Watch]
Keith Urban in a cake? A king singing to a queen?
These are just two of the five best moments from Loretta Lynn’s All-Star Birthday Celebration Concert on Monday night (April 1). Held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the Lynn-inspired tribute show featured the biggest names in the genre: Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Kacey Musgraves and more.
With 20-plus stars coming together to pay homage to this living legend, we give you the 5 most monumental moments from Lynn’s first-ever onstage birthday party.
5. The Keith Urban Cake
What did Loretta Lynn want for her birthday? The legend apparently likes Keith Urban so much, that she wanted him to jump out of her birthday cake! Well, when a country music icon asks, she shall receive. Urban popped out of a three-tier birthday cake singing the final line of "Happy Birthday" before heading stage right to give Lynn a great big birthday hug. Show MC and fellow country star Cam said to Lynn from stage: "You don’t have to let him go. He can sit in your lap for the rest of it if you want."
Urban also performed a delicate piano-version of "Blue Kentucky Girl" earlier in the night, ending it with "Happy Birthday."
4. The King Sings to the Queen!
How often do you get to see the King of Country sing to the Queen of Country? George Strait joined the party after an intermission, singing a duet with Martina McBride.
“So good to be here tonight to celebrate your birthday,” Strait said to Lynn over the mic before turning back to the audience. "This woman was the inspiration for many, many people [and] opened a lot of doors for a lot of women; not only that, but country music as a whole. Thank you, Loretta ... It’s great to be here."
Strait and McBride then cruised through the Lynn and Conway Twitty classic "Lead Me On." Strait followed with 'Amarillo by Morning," a special request from the birthday girl, who turns 87 on April 14.
3. Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man
The legend-singing-to-legend vibe continued as Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack performed a version of "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man." Jackson’s signature twang and Womack’s dynamic high register made the duo a perfect pair for the Lynn and Twitty classic, which felt just as timeless as the original.
Jackson followed with "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," another special request by Lynn. Jackson, Strait and Lynn’s sister, Crystal Gayle ("Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue"), were the only artists to play their own songs during the near three-hour tribute show.
2. Brandi Carlile's Epic Version of "She's Got You"
Besides Lynn singing her own song (Spoiler alert: it's No. 1), Brandi Carlile absolutely stole the show with her emotional performance of "She’s Got You."
The crossover artist, who recently formed the Highwomen with Maren Morris and Amanda Shires, also performed later in the evening with her supergroup, but this solo performance was on another level.
"She's Got You" was originally recorded by Patsy Cline in the '60s, with the Lynn remake becoming a No. 1 country hit in the '70s. We think Carlile should make her version a hit in the 2010s.
1. Loretta Lynn Sings “Coal Miner’s Daughter”
It was the final song of the night. The lights dimmed and all performers returned to the stage, with Lynn making her first appearance front and center. The crowd waited patiently as Lynn set herself between friend Tanya Tucker and sister Crystal Gayle. Gayle set up "Coal Miner’s Daughter," but Lynn seemed hesitant ...
Crowd tension built as Tucker, Gayle and Lynn sang the first few lyrics together with Gayle taking the lead, but seven lines in, the First Lady of Country Music shined bright. Taking the mic by herself for the first time, Lynn sang "All day long in the field a hoin' corn," with and the crowd erupted.
Lynn then settled in her country groove for the rest of the song, maintaining the lead vocal in a song she made famous; adding yet another iconic moment to her legacy.
See Pictures From Lorreta Lynn's 87th Birthday Bash: