‘Never
anything else
I have ever
wanted to do’
First Lady of Country Music’s
granddaughter Tayla Lynn to perform with
Eric Tingstad Feb. 20 at the Liberty Theater
W
What do you do with your life if, as a child,
in addition to everything other children do, you
also took voice lessons, got to know famous
musicians, and were constantly surrounded by
the best in country music? And from the age of
2 you spent time on the road with your grand-
mother? And what if your “Memaw” was born
in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, a coal miner’s
daughter, and she went on to become the First
Lady of Country Music?
Well, you might become a country singer
just like Memaw, the woman the rest of the
world calls Loretta Lynn. “There is never any-
thing else I have ever wanted to do,” says Tayla
Lynn, her granddaughter. “There
has never been a ‘plan B’; it was
always music, being a mama, be-
ing a wife, and sing.” She’s a wife
and mom now, and her singing ca-
reer is well on its way.
Tayla Lynn was not only raised
in the middle of country music,
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grandmother at the age of 5. Since
then, it has become obvious that she inherited a
talent for songwriting and a great set of pipes.
She’s recorded “Honky Tonk Girl” with Loretta
Lynn, who wrote the song, and their genetically
matched voices are remarkable. You can hear
just how remarkable this Saturday, Feb. 20, at
7:30 p.m. in Astoria’s Liberty Theater, where
Tayla Lynn will be performing with Gram-
my-winning guitarist Eric Tingstad.
Tayla Lynn’s professional career began in
2007 with Stealing Angels, a band that was
the result of a reality television show that
didn’t happen. Lynn was recruited for “All in
the Genes,” a show that was to trace the ups
and downs of the descendants of famous peo-
ple, along with Caroline Cutbirth, a descen-
Submitted photo by Photography By Blush.com
Tayla Lynn, granddaughter of Loretta Lynn, will perform Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Liberty Theater in Astoria.
dant of Daniel Boone, and Jennifer Wayne,
granddaughter of John Wayne. The show never
happened, but the three women started singing
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single and music video, “He Better Be Dead,”
hit 48 on the country chart; the trio broke up in
2012.
That was the year Lynn married Jon Finger.
Her grandmother’s advice? Tayla says Loretta
told her, “Honey, you’re getting old. I’m wor-
ried about you having babies.” A baby boy
named Tru soon arrived, and not too long there-
after mom returned to country music, this time
as a single act.
Lynn quotes her grandmother
telling her, “Country music is
about family. It’s based on fami-
ly. Always remember that Tayla.”
It’s also about the pains and heal-
ing of life. Tayla Lynn says, “As
a songwriter, you get to tell your
pain through your music. When
people relate to that, it’s healing.
Singing in front of people, it’s a
lot like therapy.”
Lynn expresses a feeling that she shares with
a lot of singer-songwriters: “It only takes that
one person, and if you can move that one person
then you have done your job right.”
The other half of the show is Seattle resident
Eric Tingstad. Best known as an accomplished
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include rock, Indian music, classical and Ha-
waiian slack-key guitar. His current work uses
Americana, blues, country and folk to portray
the landscape and regional cultures of America.
The combination of Tayla Lynn and Eric
Tingstad should cover the musical geography of
the nation, from the Southeast to the Northwest.
‘There has
never been a
‘plan B’; it was
always music.’
Submitted photo
Grammy Award-win-
ning musician Eric
Tingstad will bring
his Americana fi n-
ger-style guitar to
the concert at the
Liberty Theater.
Tayla Lynn &
Eric Tingstad
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20
Liberty Theater
1203 Commercial St., Astoria
$25 adults
$20 students, seniors and military
the arts
VISUAL ARTS • LITERATURE • THEATER • MUSIC & MORE
Story by DWIGHT CASWELL
February 18, 2016 | coastweekend.com | 9