WATCH: Loretta Lynn’s Sisters, Crystal Gayle and Peggy Sue Wright, Honor The Late Country Icon With Tribute Performance
Crystal Gayle and Peggy Sue Wright delivered a touching tribute to their sister, the late Loretta Lynn, during the 2022…
Peggy Sue Wright, Crystal Gayle; Photo by Getty Images for CMT
Crystal Gayle and Peggy Sue Wright delivered a touching tribute to their sister, the late Loretta Lynn, during the 2022 CMT Artists of the Year celebration.
The moving tribute took place at Schermerhorn Symphony Center as CMT Artists of the Year honorees such as Carly Pearce, Kane Brown, Walker Hayes, and Cody Johnson watched on.
Tanya Tucker was on hand to introduce Crystal and Peggy Sue and also share a few words about the late country music icon.
“It’s so special to me that we can take a moment to celebrate her tonight,” Tucker shared. I have been so blessed with the gift of her music and also with the gift of her friendship. She guided me through this business even before we met.”
She went on to recall watching Loretta Lynn as a child and how she always looked up to her.
“I really treasure the time that we got to spend together. She’d call me and she’d say, ‘Honey do you need some money?’ Well, there have been times I wished I had said ‘yeah,’” she laughed. “She went from being my hero to being my truly, truly great friend. And then back to being my hero again. I miss Loretta so much.”
Tucker welcomed the sisters, who joined together to perform Lynn’s iconic hit, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Crystal Gayle and Peggy Sue had emotions running high as the audience joined them in song in honor of the great Loretta Lynn.
Lynn passed away at the age of 90 on Tuesday, October 4. She was laid to rest on her Tennessee property a few days later.
The 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year celebrated the success Carly Pearce, Kane Brown, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs and Walker Hayes have seen throughout the past year.
Alan Jackson was honored as the CMT Artist Of A Lifetime. The prestigious honor, presented by Ram Trucks, was previously awarded to Randy Travis (2021), Reba McEntire (2019), Loretta Lynn (2018), Shania Twain (2016), Kenny Rogers (2015) and Merle Haggard (2014).
Lainey Wilson was named the 2022 CMT Breakout Artist Of The Year. Wilson is the fifth recipient of the award, following Mickey Guyton (2021), Ashley McBryde (2019), Kelsea Ballerini (2016), and Chris Stapleton (2015).
The 90-minute concert event featured performances from Jackson, Pearce, Johnson, Brown and Wilson. Hayes joined forces with Ciara for a never-before-seen performance of their “Y’all Life” remix. Riley Green also took the stage to honor Luke Combs.
A heartwarming tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 90, also took place during the star-studded event when her sisters, Crystal Gayle and Peggy Sue Wright, performed in her honor.
In addition to a star-studded list of performances, the show also included presenters: Chris Stapleton, Dan + Shay, Dustin Lynch, Rascal Flatts’ frontman Gary LeVox, Kelsea Ballerini, Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille, and Shane McAnally.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. appeared remotely from his annual Dale Jr. Foundation charity event in North Carolina to present Combs with his 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year award.
The 2022 CMT Artists Of The Year premiered on Friday, October 14 at 9/8c on CMT.
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.