Sturgill Simpson and Loretta Lynn are two of the most acclaimed and influential artists in country music history. Both have been praised for their authentic and original songs, their rebellious and outspoken attitudes, and their deep roots in the rural culture of Kentucky. But are they related by blood or marriage? The answer might surprise you.
The Coal Miner’s Daughter and the Outlaw
Loretta Lynn was born in 1932 in Butcher Hollow, a small mining community in eastern Kentucky. She was the oldest of eight children, and her father worked as a coal miner and a farmer. She married Oliver “Doo” Lynn when she was 15, and moved to Washington state, where she started singing in local clubs. She became a country star in the 1960s, with hits like “You Ain’t Woman Enough”, “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’”, and “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, which was also the title of her bestselling autobiography and the Oscar-winning film based on it. She was known for her honest and controversial lyrics, which addressed topics like birth control, divorce, domestic violence, and women’s rights. She won numerous awards, including four Grammys, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She died in 2022 at the age of 90.
Sturgill Simpson was born in 1978 in Jackson, a small town in eastern Kentucky. He was the youngest of three sons, and his father worked as a state trooper and a coal miner. He joined the Navy after high school, and later moved to Nashville, where he worked as a railroad conductor and played music on the side. He released his debut album, High Top Mountain, in 2013, followed by Metamodern Sounds in Country Music in 2014, which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. He signed with Atlantic Records for his third album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, which won him a Grammy for Best Country Album in 2017. He also released Sound & Fury in 2019, Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 in 2020, and The Ballad of Dood and Juanita in 2021. He was known for his eclectic and experimental style, which blended country with rock, soul, blues, psychedelia, and more. He also gained attention for his outspoken criticism of the country music industry and its awards shows.
The Family Connection
Despite their similarities in background and music, Sturgill Simpson and Loretta Lynn are not related by blood or marriage. However, they do share a family connection through Simpson’s wife, Sarah Simpson (née Shields). Sarah is the granddaughter of Dorothy Shields (née Webb), who was Loretta Lynn’s first cousin. Dorothy’s father was Melvin Webb Jr., who was Loretta’s uncle and her father’s brother. Dorothy grew up in Butcher Hollow with Loretta, and they remained close throughout their lives. Dorothy married James Shields, a coal miner from West Virginia, and they had four children: James Jr., David, Lisa, and Melissa. Melissa Shields married John Simpson, Sturgill’s older brother, and they had two children: Sarah and John Jr. Sarah Simpson married Sturgill Simpson in 2010, and they have three sons: Waylon (named after Waylon Jennings), Mercer (named after John Prine), and Arlo (named after Arlo Guthrie).
Sturgill Simpson has acknowledged his wife’s relation to Loretta Lynn in several interviews and songs. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said that he met Loretta through his wife’s family when he moved to Nashville. He also said that he admired Loretta for her courage and honesty as an artist. In his song “Life Ain’t Fair and the World Is Mean”, from his first album High Top Mountain, he sang: “Well I’ve been spending all my money on weed n’ pills / Trying to write a song that’ll pay the bills / But it ain’t came yet so I guess I’ll have to rob a bank / I guess it could be worse it ain’t that bad / At least I ain’t sitting in old Iraq / Dodging bullets like my cousin Josh / Or here at home like my cousin Paul / Watching all his jobs go to Mexico / Over some politician on TV / Who don’t give a damn about me / Well there ain’t much difference between me an’ you / Just this old guitar an’ what I do / But I ain’t no better than anybody else / Except Loretta Lynn’s first cousin’s wife / Well she’s kin to me but she don’t know it / And if she did well she don’t show it / But I love her just the same even though we never met / And I don’t know her name / But I know she’s a coal miner’s daughter / And I’m a coal miner’s son / And we’re living proof of all the hard times / That our people have overcome.”
The Musical Legacy
Sturgill Simpson and Loretta Lynn may not be related by blood or marriage, but they are related by music. They both represent the true spirit of country music, which is rooted in the stories and struggles of the working class, especially the coal miners of Appalachia. They both have challenged the conventions and expectations of the country music industry, and have carved their own paths as independent and innovative artists. They both have inspired and influenced countless other musicians, across genres and generations. They both have left a lasting mark on the history and culture of American music. And they both have shown that country music is more than a sound or a style, it is a way of life.
