Country Music Icon Loretta Lynn Presented with Second Annual Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award

Country superstar Trisha Yearwood and Cracker Barrel presented Lynn with the award as part of Cracker Barrel's 50th anniversary "Five Decades, One Voice" program

LEBANON, Tenn., Sept. 23, 2019 / -- To honor the legendary Loretta Lynn for blazing a trail for women in country music, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store named the icon its 2019 Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award recipient. The award was presented to Loretta by Cracker Barrel's "Five Decades, One Voice" partner artist Trisha Yearwood at Lynn's beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

"Loretta has played such an integral role in paving the way for the female artists who have come after her – myself included," said Trisha Yearwood. "It's truly an honor to present her this recognition, as she has been someone I have looked up to not only as a woman in country music but also as a source of warmth and support."

The award comes on the heels of Lynn serving as the leading voice and source of inspiration behind Cracker Barrel's "Five Decades, One Voice," a 50th anniversary program to celebrate iconic female country music artists and shine a spotlight on those following in their footsteps.

"For more than five decades, I've believed in taking chances where the opportunity for success is limited," said Loretta Lynn. "To receive this honor from Cracker Barrel in recognition of all those chances and the career it led me to build is incredibly meaningful to me. It comes at an important time when I see so many female artists fighting for a chance to be heard. I want to help them bring their talents to the table and programs like 'Five Decades, One Voice' do just that. And trust me; there's plenty to go around."

The Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award is an honor given to country musicians with decades in the business, past partnerships with Cracker Barrel's music program, a stated impact and influence on present day artists in the genre. Along with the award, Cracker Barrel is making a $5,000 donation to a charity of Loretta's choice, Grand Ole Opry's Opry Trust Fund, whose mission is to help those in the country music industry when they need it the most, by offering financial assistance during their time of need. The donation was presented to Grand Ole Opry's Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers by Cracker Barrel's Senior Music Manager Julie Ulmer following Loretta's award presentation at her ranch. 

"We're honored to present Country Legend Award to Loretta Lynn for her long list of accomplishments in the country music genre, but more importantly, the influence she's had on artists throughout her 60-year career," said Julie Ulmer. "Loretta laid the groundwork for future generations, especially emerging females in the country music industry. There is no one more deserving, and we're grateful for her continued partnership."

Loretta is the second recipient of the award following 2018 winner Randy Travis, who was presented the honor for his impact on the country music genre at large.

For more information about Cracker Barrel's "Five Decades, One Voice" campaign and to watch the artist mentor sessions and duets, visit crackerbarrel.com/onevoice.

Kelly Lang Records "Last Date" with Late Show's Paul Shaffer     NASHVILLE, Tenn. – When Kelly Lang's long-time friend Paul Shaffer visited Nashville for vacation recently, they did what most musicians do. They made music, recording a track for her upcoming album in their first studio session together. Lang's performance with the former musical director of Late Show With David Letterman is one of several star-studded cuts from her upcoming album, which is set for release later this year. The singer-songwriter was excited to get to record with Shaffer, especially considering the musical magic that they created in their first performance together. “I've known Paul forever, but we'd never had the chance to perform together,” said Lang. “He came down on vacation to see me, check out Nashville, and do a show. After that, we decided, 'Why not record this for the record'?” Shaffer had originally come to town to visit Lang and to play a July 4th show as Lang's special guest. Lang is a regular performer in the annual Remembering Conway Twitty show at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. This year, she performed “Goodbye Darling,” a song she wrote about Twitty. For her second song, she chose “Last Date,” a song Twitty fans know for the moving lyrics he wrote to the Floyd Cramer tune.   It was the magic of "Last Date" Shaffer and Lang decided to capture when they made it into the studio. "It's just such a magical song, and Paul brings so much to it, so much feeling and passion," Lang said. "You can hear it all on the record when it comes out. And there's a lot of surprises, too." Lang is playing it close to the vest about the songs she’s including on the album. And, while she won't reveal the full song list or popular names that might find their way into the credits, she does say people will be surprised and pleased with the collection, which she likens to her last album of classic songs, Shades of K, which drew critical praise from Billboard. "I've been so blessed in my life to have people like Paul, so many incredibly gifted, talented musicians," she said. "I'm just as blessed to have so many great songs to include on this record." Growing up in the music business, Lang’s father was Twitty’s longtime tour manager. She turned first to performing, with her first Billboard single “Lady, Lady” at the age of 15. Over the years, she’s toured extensively, and she is a talented and sought-after songwriter, as well. She is set to appear July 18 at the Grand Ole Opry with husband TG Sheppard, with whom she frequently performs duets in live shows. The couple released Iconic Duets, an album of celebrated love songs, in 2013.   # # #   Suggested Tweet: #KellyLang (@lang1111) records #LastDate with #LateShow's @paulshaffer - LINK