Watch Jack White and Loretta Lynn perform on Letterman
The death of Loretta Lynn at the age of 90 has left a major crater in the world of country music. Lynn was the definition of a legend, someone who influenced every generation of singers that came after her. Without Lynn’s boundary-pushing songs like ‘Rated X’ and ‘Fist City’, there’s a decent chance that modern country wouldn’t look the way it does.
Her influence extended beyond country music as well. Notable artists from all genres, including indie rocker Neko Case and pop-punk pioneers Paramore, have taken on Lynn’s material while paying tribute to the Coal Miner’s Daughter. Lynn was so ubiquitous that she couldn’t be restricted by just country music, putting her female-forward attitude into all forms of music.
Her songs even made their way up to Detroit, where one John Gillis had them permanently imprinted on his brain. By the time he came to fame with The White Stripes, Jack White had the pull to work with just about anybody he wanted. After dedicating the band’s 2001 breakthrough LP White Blood Cells to Lynn, White established a friendship with Lynn that eventually led to a collaboration between the two.
Van Lear Rose was Lynn’s 42nd studio album but remained significant among the ever-prolific Lynn’s discography. First and foremost was the fact that Lynn wrote all of the album’s songs, sharing writing credit on just two of the 13 tracks. ‘Trouble on the Line’ was co-written with her husband Oliver ‘Doo’ Lynn, and ‘Little Red Shoes’ had its music written by White, who also produced the album.
Although the album’s first single, ‘Miss Being Mrs.’, was a showcase just for Lynn, the best-known song from the album is ‘Portland, Oregon’. Originally written by Lynn years prior to meeting White, the song transformed into a garage rock/country hybrid that saw Lynn and White duet. Both the song and the album were acclaimed, with White’s admiration of Lynn’s signature style shining through on the final product.
Watch Lynn and White duet on ‘Portland, Oregon’ during their appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman down below.
