Darius Rucker on Loretta Lynn: ‘She Always Called Me Her Boyfriend’
Darius Rucker was in Nashville this week (10/27) to celebrate some of his successes, including his song “Wagon Wheel” becoming Diamond Certified (selling 10 million copies), one of only four country songs to do so.
When he sat down to chat with the media before his party, he talked about his friend Loretta Lynn, who died earlier this month at age 90. Darius said, “Loretta was wonderful to me. We became really good friends. She always called me her boyfriend, and we always had a great time together. When I first came to Nashville 16 years ago; Loretta was one of the first people who was singing my praises.”
He continued, “I’ll never forget looking at just a random article somebody sent to me, and they asked Loretta what she thought of country music, and she said, ‘That Darius Rucker is country.’ That was amazing to me. That was amazing to me that she even knew who I was, let alone to go out of her way to be that way to me and be that way in public, and I think that helped me a lot. So, we became really good friends, and she’s always special.”
Rucker added with a sigh, “I miss Loretta. I miss seeing her at the Opry. I miss seeing her at the CMAs and shows and stuff, and she always came up to me and gave me a big hug and made me feel like I was the most important person in her life in that moment, and I miss her. She was a wonderful human being.”
Lynn will be honored in Nashville with a public memorial service Sunday (10/30) evening at the Grand Ole Opry House. Many country superstars will appear and perform at the service, including Darius, Lynn’s sister Crystal Gayle, Faith Hill, George Strait, The Highwomen’s Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby with Brittney Spencer, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Margo Price, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Sheryl Crow, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna and more.
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