Loretta Lynn's secret stash: Country legend left behind almost 300 unreleased songs worth $20M
HURRICANE MILLS, TENNESSEE: Even death cannot stop Loretta Lynn from singing. The country legend will be releasing fresh music even after her death on October 4. Lynn has reportedly left behind a massive stash of hit singles and a compilation worth more than five albums that will be keeping her music on the charts for generations to come. Apparently, the melodies left behind are worth at least $20M.
The 'Coal Miner's Daughter' singer had been preparing for her family's life after her death for a very long time. In 2014, she signed a record deal with Sony Records imprint Legacy Recordings. During that time of her career, she was also making visits to the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville to record tracks along with her daughter Patsy Lynn Russell and Johnny Cash's son John Carter Cash as producers. The frequent sessions yielded 90 songs in total. However, only 52 song recordings and four albums have been heard till date. Thus, it was likely that a significant number of songs are yet to be released from that period.
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Loretta Lynn streams jump 615% after her death, led by “Coal Miner’s Daughter” https://t.co/EG7xQFEaJs
— 95.5 WTVY (@955WTVY) October 15, 2022
An insider revealed that "hundreds of unreleased tunes recorded in her final years with John Carter Cash — the son of county superstars June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash — at his family’s log cabin studio near Nashville." They also added that there was a possibility of as many as 300 tracks were left behind that could help release almost a dozen albums.
The thought of recording songs to release after her death for monetary support could have been inspired by fellow Country music legend Johnny Cash. "Loretta saw Johnny Cash himself recorded hundreds of songs before he died in 2003, and the album that was put out after his death sold better than the ones he was releasing when he was still alive," a source stated, according to RadarOnline.
Lynn's family friend also had a few words to share about her act of kindness, "Loretta left behind a gold mind. These recordings are worth $20 million or more. She was constantly concerned about the welfare of her family after she was no longer here, but they will be well taken care of because of her hard work in her dying days. Loretta worked very hard to stockpile music that would only see the light of day after she passed. It was her way of providing for her family when she isn’t around and keeps her music alive in the hearts of her adoring fans."
The late singer was worried about her family when she was forced to step down as a stage performer in 2017 after suffering from a stroke. However, that did not stop her from making music. Lynn's career consolidated as the family's main source of income and she knew "they needed to be taken care of when she went away." A source told RadarOnline, "Her son Enie served as her bandleader, twin daughters Patsy and Peggy sang backup, and Loretta’s granddaughter Tayla also performed with her."