Johnson County to celebrate Lynn’s 90th birthday

The documentary “Loretta Lynn: Still A Mountain Girl” will be shown April 13 at the Historic Sipp Theatre in Paintsville as part of Johnson County’s celebration of the country music legend’s 90 th birthday, which is April 14.

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

PAINTSVILLE — Johnson County will celebrate country music superstar Loretta Lynn’s 90th birthday with five days of events in April.

The celebration kicks off Saturday, April 9, with the Van Lear’s Favorite Girl Birthday Ride that begins at 10 a.m. at Webb Grocery at Van Lear, which was operated for decades by Lynn’s late brother, Herman Webb.

“Coal Miner’s Daughter,” the Oscar-winning film based on Lynn’s autobiography, will be shown Monday, April 11, at the Historic Sipp Theatre on Main Street in Paintsville, beginning at 7 p.m..

The Sipp will also host Loretta Lynn Tribute Night on Tuesday, April 12 at 7 p.m.

The celebration continues at the Sipp Wednesday, April 13, with “Still A Mountain Girl,” a documentary about the Johnson County native that was originally broadcast on the PBS series “American Masters” in April 2016. Showtime will be 7 p.m.

The celebration will conclude on Lynn’s birthday on Thursday, April 14, with a Front Porch Pickin’ event and birthday party at 7 p.m. at the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum.

Also to observe Lynn’s 90th birthday, the KY4ARC Amateur Radio Club of Paintsville will operate a special event station from her childhood home at Butcher Hollow in Van Lear.

“We plan to operate on several different amateur bands, as weather and propagation conditions permit,” club member Danny K. Blevins said in a Facebook post.

Tours will also be available at the Country Music Highway Museum Saturday through Thursday, April 9-14, excluding Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours will be $4 per person, with children 5 and under admitted free. A limited number of free tickets are available at the Johnson County Public Library on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lynn was born Loretta Webb on April 14, 1932, the eldest daughter and second child of Ted and Clara Webb.