Jack White has paid tribute to his collaborator Loretta Lynn, who died yesterday (October 4) at the age of 90.
In a video statement on Instagram, White praised both the "brilliant genius" of her songwriting and her pioneering feminism in country music. He called her "like a mother figure to me, and also a very good friend, at times."
White said:
What a sad day today is. We lost one of the greats, Loretta Lynn. I said, when I was first asked about her, what I thought, and I said years ago that I thought she was the greatest female singer-songwriter of the 20th century. I still believe that. Loretta used to say to make it in the business, you had to either be great, different, or first, and she thought that she was just different, and that's how she made it. But I think she was all three of those things, and there's plenty of evidence to back that up, too.
In the background of White's video statement is a vinyl copy of Van Lear Rose, Lynn's 2004 album that White played on and produced. The White Stripes dedicated their 2001 album White Blood Cells to Lynn, and covered her song "Rated X."
Watch the tribute below.
In a video statement on Instagram, White praised both the "brilliant genius" of her songwriting and her pioneering feminism in country music. He called her "like a mother figure to me, and also a very good friend, at times."
White said:
What a sad day today is. We lost one of the greats, Loretta Lynn. I said, when I was first asked about her, what I thought, and I said years ago that I thought she was the greatest female singer-songwriter of the 20th century. I still believe that. Loretta used to say to make it in the business, you had to either be great, different, or first, and she thought that she was just different, and that's how she made it. But I think she was all three of those things, and there's plenty of evidence to back that up, too.
In the background of White's video statement is a vinyl copy of Van Lear Rose, Lynn's 2004 album that White played on and produced. The White Stripes dedicated their 2001 album White Blood Cells to Lynn, and covered her song "Rated X."
Watch the tribute below.
