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Tuesday / February 18.
HomeCultureCommunity EventsConcert Review: Personal Stories Top The Music

Concert Review: Personal Stories Top The Music

Always Loretta, featuring Emily Portman and the original Coalminers, playing the classic songs of Loretta Lynn CREDIT

By Dan Deming
A special to The Hutchinson Tribune

Country singer/songwriter Loretta Lynn was 90 years old when she died just three years ago but her music came alive Friday night at Hutchinsons’ Fox Theatre. For those who enjoy traditional, classic, original-style country songs, there was no disappointment.  

But I would argue the best part of a tribute concert to Loretta was when the second half opened with a fascinating historical accounting of how her original band got together to back up Lynn, some staying like lead guitarist Dave Thornhill for 55 years and more than 10,000 concerts.

Among his recollections was a mid-70s appearance by Loretta and the Coalminers at the Kansas State Fair.  Of all the concerts Thornhill played, only a few, he said, including Hutchinson, stand out. That’s because a young George Strait opened for Loretta and was so popular with the audience that he returned to the grandstand stage for five encores, something the band has never seen since.

It was that kind of storytelling by Thornhill that enthralled the Fox audience before Emily Portman and the mostly still original Coalminers returned for the second half of music.  Portman also personally knew Lynn and received a family endorsement to recreate and promote her songs on stage after originally helping recreate a tour featuring  Conway Twitty, who Lynn often joined with.  Her recreation of Loretta was near perfect, as were the five Coalminers, along with a veteran woman backup singer.

Loretta Lynn was a risk taker in the ’50s and ’60s, creating songs that some radio stations refused to play.  While no longer “daring” today, vocals like “I Want You out of My Head and into My Bed” and “Don’t Come Home Drinkin’ With Lovin’ On Your Mind” were considered scandalous in those days of country music.

Lynn’s popularity over 6 decades came despite having four children by the time she was 20 and 48 years in an up-and-down marriage to a man she called “Doo” Lynn.  

While two of the older Coalminers had to play either their guitar or keyboard sitting, they all looked fancy and stylish (unlike the sloppy appearance of many of today’s popular entertainers) in black tuxes complimented by red bow-ties.  The second half of the music seemed more receptive because it included more of Always Loretta’s hit songs.  

Overall, for those who don’t get to see and hear much classic country music, it was another well-researched and well-presented Fox concert. Garrison Keillors’ appearance on February 28th is close to being sold out, and don’t miss an evening of great Broadway and Jersey Boys era popular songs on March 21st when The Barricade Boys” come to town.

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