Loretta Lynn Thinks Garth Brooks Is ‘Wrong’ For Pulling Out Of Entertainer of the Year

“I hope CMA ignores his request,” Lynn says.

By

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

August 18, 2020

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2:03 pm

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Garth Brooks; Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for The Recording Academy, Loretta Lynn; Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music

Loretta Lynn is speaking out about Garth Brooks’ decision to pull himself out of the CMA Entertainer of the Year category and she’s holding nothing back.

The legendary artist, who took home the title of CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1972, took to Instagram to share what she calls the “hard truth” and explained why she thinks Brooks should still be in the running for the CMA’s top title.

“I’ve thought a lot about @garthbrooks stepping down from being considered for CMA Entertainer of the Year. That’s classic, humble Garth but I think he’s wrong on this one,” Lynn, 88, wrote. “He’s won it 7 times because he earned it! In my book, he’s earned it 20 times over and deserves to win it anytime they count the votes up and he’s on top. He’s worked his heart out and you can mark it down that I’m his biggest fan. I hope CMA ignores his request!”

Lynn closed her post with a message directly to Brooks: “Love you, honey,” she said.

Loretta Lynn’s post comes just days after Brooks held a virtual press conference to announce plans to remove himself from the CMA Entertainer of the Year category after taking home his seventh win in 2019. During the virtual event, he told members of the press, “it’s time for somebody else to hold that award.”

He went on to share that the backlash he received following his big win prompted him to make the request to the Country Music Association.

“You pretty much saw what happened after the CMAs, all the way through the new year. It got a little — it wasn’t fun, let’s put it that way,” Brooks acknowledged. “But there was one tweet that really stuck in my head,” he added, revealing that the Tweet suggested that he step aside and let someone else win.

He revealed that he “100-percent agreed” with the thought and shared that he does not want to “seem ungrateful.”

Lynn isn’t the first country star to speak out about the topic. Blake Shelton also took to social media to share his thoughts on Brooks’ announcement, calling Garth Brooks the “entertainer of the century.”

Despite Brooks’ request, the Country Music Association cannot permanently remove him from the category. The award is voted on my CMA members and if he receives a nomination, his name will in fact be on the ballot.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.