Jack White Shares Gratitude for ‘Mother Figure’ Loretta Lynn in Touching Tribute: ‘We Were Lucky to Have Her’
After the death of Loretta Lynn, musician Jack White paid a touching tribute to his friend and one-time collaborator. Despite their age difference, they developed a unique friendship and even sparked brief romance rumors. But White explained that the country music legend was “like a mother figure to [him] and … a very good friend at times,” as well as a “brilliant genius” as a musician.
Jack White and Loretta Lynn had a special friendship
White produced Lynn’s 2004 Grammy-winning album, Van Lear Rose. And in a 2014 Big Interview with Rather, Lynn opened up about their friendship. She shared that they met backstage while performing in New York and hit things off.
“He’s a young boy with an old mind,” Lynn said of the White Stripes rocker. “He seems to be older in his ways and actions.”
Notably, Van Lear Rose ended up being one of the last of 46 albums recorded by Lynn in her 90 years (Country Music Hall of Fame). Her family announced that she died “peacefully” at home in October of 2022.
Jack White paid tribute to his ‘very good friend’ Loretta Lynn
White paid tribute to Lynn, whom he called the “greatest female singer-songwriter of the 20th century,” in a video on Instagram. He said, “She was such an incredible presence and such a brilliant genius in ways that I think only people who got to work with her might know about.”
Furthermore, he applauded her for advancing feminism and women’s rights “in a genre that was hard to do it in.”
“She broke down a lot of barriers for people who came after her,” he noted.
White learned as a musician working with the iconic country star and said he sometimes had to take time outs because he “couldn’t believe what [he] was witnessing and hearing.”
She was “just brilliant at what she did,” he said, “and we were lucky to have her.”
He added, “And people can learn from example the rags to riches part of it and the beautiful natural voice part of it.”
In his Instagram video, White also spoke about his relationship with Lynn. He shared, “She was like a mother figure to me,” adding she was “a very good friend at times,” too. “She told me some amazing things that I’ll never tell anybody,” he shared.
Jack White showed ‘enormous respect’ for Loretta Lynn, according to her one-time manager
— Loretta Lynn (@LorettaLynn) October 4, 2022
When Lynn collaborated with White on Van Lear Rose, Nancy Russell managed her career. And she said the album introduced the seasoned superstar with humble beginnings to new generations of fans.
Russell wrote about the experience for Variety and shared, “Introducing Loretta to Jack White and being a part of making the Van Lear Rose album remains one of the highlights of my career and my life.”
“I don’t think there’s anyone who could have done a better job producing her for that album than Jack,” Russell noted. “With the enormous respect he held for Loretta he tenderly guided every single note, chord, vocal and nuance during the recording, mixing and mastering of the album. He was a genuine fan.”
