Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter has tour stops in Snohomish County

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 3, 2017

Americana singer Tayla Lynn is happy to be referred to as Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter.

Her “memaw” — the country music living legend — spent a lot of time in Washington state, and so has Tayla. Married to a guy from King County, Tayla Lynn has been making it a habit these past few years to spend at least part of her summer in the region.

She sang at the Spur Festival in Darrington in June. She’s entertaining at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at Loco Billy’s Wild Moon Saloon in Stanwood. You can hear her the next day at the Triple Door in Seattle. Then Lynn will be on stage at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12 for the Music at the Marina concert series in Everett.

“We are so excited to have Tayla Lynn stop in Stanwood on her tour from Nashville to do a special concert here at Loco Billy’s,” said Cookie Spirk, whose band Cookie &the Cutters will open for Lynn.

Lynn will be joined on stage by Grammy award-winner and regional treasure Eric Tingstad (Tingstad and Rumbel). Lynn and Tingstad met a few years ago and formed a formidable duo that celebrates their American musical and storytelling heritage.

Born and reared in the Northwest, Tingstad is a producer, musician and composer. He is best known as a finger-style guitarist who likes alternative country, blues, Americana, rock and jazz. He performed and recorded award-winning “new age” tunes for more than 20 years with oboist Nancy Rumbel.

Lynn, who grew up in Tennessee and still lives there, remembers as a child watching her father, Ernie, and her grandmother, Loretta, perform.

“I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t in the wings in some town somewhere, watchin’ my memaw and my daddy on stage,” said Lynn, now in her 30s. “I started singing as soon as I opened my mouth.”

Loretta Webb Lynn was just a young teenager when she got married, left Kentucky and followed her husband, Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn, across the country to Whatcom County. Four of her six children, including Tayla’s father, Ernest Ray Lynn, were born there. Loretta started out singing in the grange hall in Custer.

In her teens, after her grandfather’s death in 1996, Tayla spent time living with Loretta Lynn in Nashville.

“I got to tour with her, too,” Lynn said. “That’s really when we became as close as we are.”

A few years ago, Tayla and her grandmother recorded a duet of the song “Honky Tonk Girl,” which Loretta Lynn wrote in Custer and was on her first recording.

In previous interviews with The Herald, Lynn has said she is proud that Loretta Lynn is her grandmother.

“Memaw says to just hang on tight to those apron strings of hers,” she said. “How cool is it that my grandmother is somebody everybody has heard of? I’m not stupid. I know how to do that. Heck, yes, I tell everybody she is mine.”

Lynn is preparing to record her next album. More information is at taylalynn.com/help-make-new-album.

Tayla Lynn

Performs the evening of Aug. 5 at Loco Billy’s Wild Moon Saloon, 27021 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. Tickets are $10 in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com or $15 each at the door. Performing with her is Eric Tingstad, and the show opens with Cookie &the Cutters. For more information go to www.locobillys.com or call 425-737-5144.

Lynn also is scheduled to perform at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12 for the Music at the Marina summer concert series at Port Gardner Landing, 1700 W. Marine View Drive, Everett.