April 1st, 2019: The Night Keith Urban Sat at a Piano and Sang So Gently, So Purely, That Loretta Lynn—A Titan of Country Music—Was Reduced to Tears by the Very Song That Helped Define Her Legacy
Listeners were moved by Keith Urban’s live cover performance of “Blue Kentucky Girl” back in 2019. The song was actually written by award-winning songwriter Johnny Mullins and was first released in 1965. Loretta Lynn, the well-known “Queen of Country Music,” first sang the song. Loretta Lynn’s Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit was said to be named after the song.
In 1979, the song was also re-released into a single for Emmylou Harris, another prominent country music performer. And her rendition really took off, reaching no. 6 on the Billboard charts. It was also said that Harris’ rendition of the song earned the song a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Song in 1980.
Aside from the fact that the song was a chart-topping smash for decades, Loretta Lynn has a stronger connection to Kentucky than most people realize. For some who didn’t know, Lynn actually planned a central charity performance at Louisville’s Freedom Hall back in 1971, with 50 other country music singers performing.
That said event was arranged to collect donations for the wives and children of the 38 miners who died in a coal mine explosion near Hyden, Kentucky, back in 1970. If you didn’t know, Lynn’s father is actually a coal miner, and their family lived in Kentucky for years. That’s maybe why Kentucky is very dear to her.
On a night to remember, on April 1, 2019, during Loretta Lynn’s birthday party at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, she was brought to tears after hearing Keith Urban sing one of her favorite songs. It’s “Blue Kentucky Girl,” of course.
Keith Urban did an excellent job with his cover. Anyone who hears his voice will be moved to tears by his enduring piano-playing talents and calming voice. And it’s not surprising given that Keith Urban is a Grammy-winning country music singer and composer himself.
So if you want to check out Keith Urban version of “Blue Kentucky Girl,” you should definitely check out his live performance by clicking here.
