On December 30, 1970, I happened to be an hour away from that location. scary coal mine explosion at Hayden. A few months later, we learned that Loretta Lynn had kicked her band off the road to play a concert in Louisville for Hayden survivors.
In the fall of 1972, I arranged an interview with Loretta in Nashville, the morning after she became the first woman to win Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Awards. Country music now blends into my inner mission to tell stories of mountains, people, languages and faiths. I wanted to do the right thing for Appalachia.
The first interview was the same as all subsequent interviews, except she was exhausted from the awards ceremony and had woken up early to appear on the morning TV show. Someone took time out for me. Her manager, David Skepner, used to say, “Loretta never met a stranger.”
Loretta escorted me into her world — “Well, George.” — and I started to feel at home.
I befriended Skepner, a guy from Beverly Hills who now lives in Nashville, and doubled as her bodyguard. Being a city boy, I had to get used to his large iron on the windowsill as I sat in Loretta’s room. (“David, can you put the ball cap on the pistol and point it at the window?” I ask.)
I became close with my fans. Many of them were women. Especially her three fans in Colorado were the Johnson sisters at her club. Laudila was the leader. Kay was the heart. Loretta Johnson was bile.
One time, at a picnic, Loretta Johnson was dishing pies and pecans. Everyone around me laughs. For years, Loretta Lynn has put the look on my face when I wrap a piece of pecan pie. welcome to the country