One of country music’s trailblazers Loretta Lynn will celebrate her 87th birthday on the 14th of April. And she got the party started on the 1st of April!
Photo Credits: Loretta Lynn/ Official Facebook Home Page
The All-Star Ensemble
The concert was star-studded. It featured performances by Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brandy Clark, Darius Rucker, Jack White, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Margo Price, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies, Trisha Yearwood, and more.
Dave Cobb served as musical director of the event. And, the net proceeds from the ticket sales of the event went to the Opry Trust Fund and the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum.
via Garth Brooks Official Facebook Page
Brooks expressed his genuine love for the legend, saying that he and everyone around the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” singer adores her.
“Everybody knows Loretta, and everybody loves Loretta. She’s a pistol and [I] just love being around her. I wish I was Loretta Lynn. I mean, everybody that comes to this town wants to be somebody like her . . . Everybody’s lining up to pay tribute to her.”
Keith Urban’s Surprise
Well, with that being said, what Miss Lynn wants for her birthday, she gets!
Earlier this year, Lynn jokingly said that she wanted Keith Urban to “jump out of my birthday cake” – to which, Urban replied with an enthusiastic tweet of agreement.
Photo Credits: Keith Urban/Official Facebook Home Page
So, it wasn’t all that big of a surprise when Cam led a sold-out Nashville arena in a “Happy Birthday.” A huge fake care was rolled out on stage and a smiling Keith Urban popped up.
Watch the amazing surprise here!
Keith’s Tribute
However, the real surprise was Urban’s choice to perform “Blue Kentucky Girl.” He made his first stage appearance long before the cake trick.
“I played in a few cover bands growing up [in Australia], and we often ended up with a girl singer. And so even on the other side of the world I grew up playing quite a few of your songs over the years. … This is a song I wanted to do, despite the fact that it’s sung by a girl, because I’ve always loved this song.”