Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Who is Oliver Lynn? Meet Loretta Lynn’s Other Half

loretta lynn doo doolittle
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Oliver Vanetta Lynn married country legend, Loretta Lynn, when she was just 15, and he was 21. It was a marriage that would go on to have six children and would stay together up until Oliver died in 1996.  

However, Oliver and Loretta’s marriage was not sunshine and rainbows. In fact, it was even extraordinarily complicated and filled with abuse, infidelity, and turmoil. Yet, Loretta stayed by Oliver Lynn‘s side, whom she fondly called “Doolittle” or “Doo.”

RELATED: Loretta Lynn and Husband Oliver Lynn Love Story

Oliver Lynn Had a Turbulent Marriage With Loretta Lynn

Doo was born of Irish descent in Butcher Hollow, in Johnson County. He was a coal miner and moonshine runner in Kentucky in which earned him the nickname Mooney.

He married Loretta Lynn on January 10, 1948, just one month after they met. The couple left their home state of Kentucky while Loretta was pregnant with their first child. They traveled to the logging community of Custer, Washington, where they settled down. The Lynn family quickly grew. Their first four children, two daughters, and two sons were born over the course of only six years.

But their marriage was far from ideal. The problem with Doo was that he was very physically abusive. His acts of rage were usually caused from days or nights of heavy drinking. 

But this doesn’t mean Loretta did not put up a fight. 

“If he smacked me or anything, I’d stand up and be fightin’ him just like I’d be fightin’ the other woman,” Loretta said about Doo, who was also notorious for womanizing. “He’d smack me, I’d smack him; he’d pull my hair, I pulled his hair. That’s the way it was.” 

Loretta recalled one such fight that started when Doo came home drunk. Doo got her on one of her pin curls. She fought back by throwing a punch and was shocked when it landed in Doo’s mouth. “There was a hardwood floor, and I’m telling you, the teeth broke into tiny little pieces, and it seemed like they just kept falling. Click-clack-clack-clack. I thought: ‘I’m dead. I am dead. I am completely dead,'” Loretta recalled.

But Doo did not say a word and just laughed. He lost two of his front teeth and was only replaced after Loretta started making money from singing.

He Was The One Who Persuaded Loretta To Start Her Musical Career

Loretta credits Doo for her successful music career. It was actually Doo who bought Loretta her first guitar, a $17 Harmony. Loretta taught herself how to play it, and Doo served as a constant source of encouragement. He’d tell her that she’s as good or even better as most of the girls singing and making money. 

“I could never have done it on my own,” Lynn said and how she had never sung in front of anybody until Doo pushed her out there. “Whatever else our marriage was back in the days…without Doo and his drive to get a better life, there would have been no Loretta Lynn, country singer.” 

Loretta Lynn’s spouse also generated material. His drinking and cheating fired up Loretta to write signature songs just like her first No. 1 hit, “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).” A few years later, she wrote a frank yet bubbly warning to a would-be rival, “Fist City,” for a real woman in Tennessee who was making eyes at Doo while she was singing.

“I wrote about my heartaches, I wrote about everything,” Loretta said. In fact, she had never written any song without her husband in it, though Doo didn’t know which line he was in.

“The more you hurt, the better the song is. You put your whole heart into a song when you’re hurting. You can’t be protected. I didn’t try to be protected. I didn’t want to be protected. When I wrote a song like that, I was mad, and somebody else needed protection, not me.”

When Loretta’s first single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,” came out, Doo also helped with the promotion. He traveled along with Loretta as they visited radio stations, having a shot at getting airtime for her song. 

RELATED: Top 10 Loretta Lynn Songs Of All Time

He Was Instrumental to Loretta’s First Opry Visit

Loretta Lynn’s husband was also instrumental in helping Loretta get to the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. The day before Loretta’s performance, the couple spent the night in Nashville, but in a much more humbling place than a hotel. 

Since the Lynns lacked the means to obtain the comforts of life, they ended up sleeping out in their car. They parked directly across the Opry. Though they only had a little money, Doo made sure to buy a special treat for Loretta before her big show.

“The first morning, we slept in the car. He parked it in front of the Grand Ole Opry, and I didn’t know he’d done that. And I woke up and seen the Grand Ole Opry,” Loretta said. “We didn’t have any money, but he went and got us doughnuts. And we were eating doughnuts.”

He Died Of Congestive Heart Failure After A Four-Year Battle With The Disease

The hard-drinking Doolittle died at home on August 22, 1996. He had been hospitalized repeatedly since 1993 because of diabetes and heart failure. His feet were also amputated in recent years.

Doo was 69 years old when he passed away and was married to Loretta for almost 50 years. Though what they have was a combative marriage, it was an enduring one. In 2018, Loretta released the title track of her forty-fifth solo studio album, “Wouldn’t It Be Great?”

It’s the last song the country superstar wrote for Doo and found herself wishing to hear one last “I love you” from her man. 

“My husband liked to drink a lot, and that’s where that song comes from. ‘Say you love me just one time, with a sober mind,'” she explained. “I always liked that song, but I never liked to sing it around Doo.”

“I sang it to him when he was dying,” Loretta revealed.

Latest Stories

Jessica Simpson returns to the stage after 15 years at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, sparking mixed reactions from fans and critics.

Jessica Simpson Returns To The Stage After 15 Years But Not Everyone Is Impressed

Jessica Simpson is no stranger to the spotlight, but over the weekend, she stepped onto a stage she hadn’t touched in 15 years—and the response was anything but unanimous. Performing ...

Bryson Quick stuns American Idol judges with a country twist on Pink Floyd’s Time, earning a golden ticket and a Grand Ole Opry invitation.

Bryson Quick Turns Pink Floyd Country on American Idol, Earns Grand Ole Opry Invitation

American Idol delivers jaw-dropping moments every season, but 17-year-old Bryson Quick just raised the bar. The Tennessee native walked into his audition, guitar in hand, and put a country spin ...

Dollywood’s future is secure with Dolly Parton’s careful planning, ensuring her vision and legacy will continue for generations to come.

What Will Happen to Dollywood When Dolly Parton Is No Longer Here

Dolly Parton is more than just the heart and soul of Dollywood—she is Dollywood. Her signature warmth, creativity, and commitment to her Smoky Mountain roots have turned the Pigeon Forge ...

Speculation about Carrie Underwood’s lips resurfaces, but fans argue her talent, not her appearance, should be the real focus.

Why Carrie Underwood’s Lips Look Different Now Than They Did Years Ago

Carrie Underwood is no stranger to public scrutiny. The country superstar has spent nearly two decades in the spotlight, winning awards, dominating charts, and setting the gold standard for powerhouse ...

Morgan Wallen turns heads at the SEC Championship in Nashville, rocking a Tennessee hoodie and cheering courtside for the Vols.

Morgan Wallen Turns Heads at SEC Championship Game in Nashville [PICS]

Morgan Wallen may be one of country music’s biggest stars. Still, this weekend, he was just another passionate Tennessee Volunteers fan. The “Last Night” singer made a courtside appearance at ...

Kelly Clarkson missed The Kelly Clarkson Show due to a sudden family emergency, leaving fans concerned as they await her return.

Kelly Clarkson Was Missing From Her Own Show Due To A Sudden Family Emergency

Kelly Clarkson has never been one to leave her fans in the dark. So when she suddenly vanished from The Kelly Clarkson Show in early March, viewers immediately knew something ...

Ronnie Dunn and Parker McCollum share a viral onstage moment at Boots In The Park, leaving fans debating if it was a check or just playful ribbing.

Did Ronnie Dunn Check Parker McCollum Over His Gold Chain on Stage?

Country music thrives on tradition, but a new generation shakes things up every now and then. That’s why a viral onstage exchange between Brooks & Dunn’s Ronnie Dunn and rising ...

Dolly Parton reveals her favorite way to enjoy Dollywood’s famous cinnamon bread—loaded with both icing and apple butter, of course!

Dolly Parton’s Favorite Way to Eat Cinnamon Bread Is As Sweet as She Is

When it comes to comfort food, few things can top warm, buttery cinnamon bread fresh from the oven. And if there’s anyone who knows how to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, ...

How the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two Became a Country Music Landmark

Some songs don’t just get recorded—they get passed down like family heirlooms, carrying the weight of history. “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” is one of those rare songs, a gospel ...

Kris Kristofferson’s Why Me Lord remains a timeless country gospel anthem, born from a spiritual awakening and filled with grace and redemption.

Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me Lord” Remains a Timeless Country Gospel Anthem

Some songs feel like a conversation with the heavens. Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me Lord” is one of those rare tracks that turns a deeply personal moment into something universal. Released ...