The CMA Awards opened with a tribute to the legendary Loretta Lynn with a medley of her biggest hits.
The touching tribute started with a clip of Lynn accepting the award for CMA entertainer of the year in 1972, a clip which showcased her sense of humor as she joked about her husband not being there. This year marks 50 years since Lynn reached that coveted milestone.
Immediately following the clip, Carrie Underwood took the stage singing "You Ain’t Woman Enough (to Take My Man)," as pictures of Lynn were shown on the screen behind her. Underwood was then joined on stage by Miranda Lambert who sang "Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin.'" The two were then joined by Reba McEntire who sang "You’re Looking At Country."
The ladies then came together to sing Lynn's most well known song, "Coal Miner's Daughter," an autobiographical song about Lynn's own life. Carly Pearce also sang "Coal Miner's Daughter" later in the show.
CMA AWARDS TO OPEN WITH A TRIBUTE TO COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND LORETTA LYNN
Lynn inspired many country music artists throughout her career, with many female artists saying they are grateful to her for breaking down doors in the industry and paving the way for them to find success in country music as well.
While on the red carpet at the CMA Awards, Elle King, Jessie James Decker and Lindsay Ell expressed to Fox News Digital just how important Lynn is to them and what an inspiration she was to them when they were first starting out.
"I loved Loretta Lynn growing up, she was definitely a huge inspiration to me," Decker said. "She just overcame so much and always maintained such a strong, incredible demeanor and personality, and she’s just an icon. I always loved her."
King said, "Loretta Lynn was a very outspoken at a time when women were not doing the things or doing things, or singing songs the way that she did, and I feel like that paves way for women like me who have wild rowdy things to say and are themselves and remember where they come from and shed light on it and honor it, and take it and carry it with them their whole lives."
She also admitted she considers Lynn to be one of the best songwriters in the industry, saying, "she’s written the best songs in the whole world" and "she sang the greatest songs in the whole world."
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Ell believes Lynn's legacy will continue to live on in the music industry, and beyond, for many more years to come.
"The CMA Awards are always time to celebrate artists who have really impacted our format, like Loretta Lynn and Alan Jackson. I cannot wait to see the Loretta tribute," Ell said on the red carpet. "You think of a female artist who has not only prolifically but with her songwriting and with her legacy influenced generations and generations to come. I cannot wait to see what Carrie and Miranda and the ladies are gonna do tributing her."
Lynn died in October at the age of 90. She passed away in her sleep at her home in Tennessee. She retired from the music industry in 2017 after suffering a stroke.
