Country music has sometimes been described as the authentic blue collar voice of the American south. In the past half-century no singer and songwriter did more to justify that claim than Loretta Lynn, who has died aged 90. In the words of the music historian Bill Malone, Lynn’s songs “spoke for working-class women in a way no ardent feminist could ever do”.
The self-penned Success (1962) was her first Top 10 country hit and was followed by a slew of No 1 singles on the US country chart, including, in 1966, Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind), an assertive song that cemented her reputation as the defiant voice of the ordinary woman.
