What was your goal for album number 50? Recording is what I do, who I am. I guess I just want my fans to always have something new from me to listen to. Still Woman Enough is the name of your 2002 memoir, one of your new songs and also this album. What does it mean to you to still be woman enough? We as women sometime feel we are not enough—smart enough, pretty enough, on and on. I’ve had the same struggles. So I made the sayin’ “still woman enough” as my pep talk to myself. When I wrote the song, I wanted it to be about being strong and liking who I was as a woman. What is the pleasure in joining forces with other women artists? I love each one of the girls. Tanya has been my friend for almost 50 years. She was just a little girl starting out when we met. Reba and Carrie, I think, are the best in the business, but more than that, they are good people. Margo and I got to know each other the last few years. I love her songwriting, and she sings it with heart and guts. I see a little bit of myself in her. You have 13 new recordings on this album, which features songs that you wrote from your life experiences. But part of your legacy is having several of your records banned from the radio—like “The Pill” and “Rated X” in the 1970s. Are you a risk taker? Or is it that you want your songs to tell truths? Risk taker, no, I just write what I feel, what is going on with me and my life. It just happened that a lot of other women felt the same. I would never set out to write something just for it to shock someone; I am not that clever. It’s always been about truth and if that means radio wants to ban it, well that’s their problem. Most of my records they banned became No. 1 anyway. You’ve had a couple of movies tell your life story, Coal Miner’s Daughter with Sissy Spacek and then more recently Patsy & Loretta with Jessie Mueller as you. Patsy Cline was clearly a big influence in your life. Did you pay it forward? Did you take upcoming female country artists under your wing and mentor them? I stayed on set for a lot of the filming of Coal Miner’s Daughter. It was hard watching your life story being played back right in front of you, but Sissy was great. I always said she was a better Loretta Lynn than I was. To this day, I tell everyone Patsy Cline was my best friend; she was. We didn’t have a long friendship because she passed away. She taught me so much, not just about music but life. I try to always get to know the new, young singers. I will give advice if they ask for it. More than anything, I just let them know I am listening to them. How has country music changed for women since you began all those years ago? You know, I get asked that a lot. I don’t know if it’s easier or harder now for women singers. We had to fight to be heard when I started out and are still fighting to be heard. What do you see as your legacy in country music? Is it a song? I read “Coal Miner’s Daughter”is your favorite. Or is it something bigger than that? Of course, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” It’s is a story, a song about the American dream. Who do you listen to these days? Are there any younger artists that you enjoy? I mostly listen to older country, but I do like some of the new artists. I am not naming names; they know who they are. I hear folks saying all the time that country music has changed. It has in some ways, but there will always be a great country song and a few great, real country singers. If you can’t find one, then just go get a Willie Nelson record. At 88, do you ever think of retiring? I hope I can write a song right up until the end. What’s the secret to a good life? Family always. What’s the happiest you’ve been this year? Getting my first COVID-19 Vaccine. At 88, are there still questions you are trying to answer about life? I am still learning. Only God has all the answers of life, and I can’t wait to ask him. Next, We Explore the Real Stories Behind Pop Music’s Biggest Hits
