Carly Pearce recently debuted a new song, “Dear Miss Loretta,” live from the Grand Ole Opry. The song was a tribute to her own musical hero, Loretta Lynn, someone she grew up admiring, even as a young girl.
“One of the lyrics in that song is, ‘I’m not a coal miner’s daughter, but my grandmother was,'” Pearce told PopCulture.com. “My grandmother, her dad passed away in the coal mines working.”
Pearce might have idolized Lynn as a child, but has even more respect for her now as an adult, especially as Pearce forges her own path in country music.
“Loretta and I did have a lot of similarities growing up in Kentucky,” Pearce reflected. “And now I feel like as an adult, yes, I loved her as a kid because my grandma was like, ‘If you’re going to sing country music, you’re going to love Loretta.’ And it was like, ‘Got it.’ But now as an adult, I understand what she was singing about so much more. Are our stories identical? No, but we are pushing the envelope of what is, quote unquote, acceptable to sing about.”
Wow! @carlypearce this song means the world to me and you sang it on my favorite stage in the world @opry . I loved it and I love you! Maybe one of these days we can sing one together! #girlpower #westicktogether #fromtheheart #thankyou https://t.co/cCWkL5Uvxj
— Loretta Lynn (@LorettaLynn) March 23, 2021
Pearce was stunned when Lynn retweeted Pearce’s Opry performance, writing “Wow! [Carly Pearce] this song means the world to me and you sang it on my favorite stage in the world [Grand Ole Opry]. I loved it and I love you! Maybe one of these days we can sing one together!”
“I went and made sure that it was the blue checkmark, and made sure it was actually her,” Pearce recalled. “I wrote that song… I was in this place where I was like, ‘I don’t know if people are going to really like this kind of turn truly to traditional country music for me.’ So I was writing all different kinds of songs that for the first time I felt like I could creatively do whatever I wanted. And I wrote this song and knew it was cool, but didn’t know if I’d ever do anything with it. And now it feels like it’s such a crucial part of this time in my life. And just to have her even hear it was pretty awesome.”
Pearce just released her latest album, 29, but hints there might be more music coming from her as well.
I’ve realized over the last few weeks that I wasn’t entirely finished writing my 29 chapter… pic.twitter.com/k29pcrCEBf
— Carly Pearce (@carlypearce) April 21, 2021
“I’ve realized over the last few weeks that I wasn’t entirely finished writing my 29 chapter…” Pearce tweeted.
Pearce recently took home two ACM Awards, Single of the Year and Music Event of the Year, both for her “I Hope You’re Happy Now” duet with Lee Brice. Her current single, “Next Girl,” is in the Top 30.
