Loretta Lynn’s Cousin Honors Her With Original Song Bearing Her Name

Tara Thompson via sportsandentertainmentnashville.com

One rising star in country music has ties that run deep in the genre. Tara Thompson is making a name for herself with her music, including her popular song “Someone to Take Your Place.” But while Thompson is working on getting her own name out there in country music, there’s a big name artist who is cheering her on.  

As it turns out, Thompson is related to country legend Loretta Lynn. Thompson’s grandmother and Lynn are first cousins, which is how the two are related.

When Thompson got her record deal, Lynn was quick to comment on it, saying, “About damn time!“

Being related to country royalty, you would think that Thompson would have leveraged Lynn’s name in order to jump start her career. But as Thompson told NPR, she wanted to obtain her dreams on her own.

“I didn’t wanna use her and I didn’t want to go through her and use all her connections,” she said. “I wanted to do it myself.“

Now that Thompson is well set on her way to eventual country superstardom, she decided to honor her cousin in the best way possible. As a songwriter as well, Thompson pens her own tunes, including one that bears Lynn’s name. 

“Loretta Lynn” the song is told from the perspective of someone looking back on their childhood with fondness. Through the lyrics, Thompson recalls how as a young girl her hopes for her future were high. She explains that as an adult, she hopes to reclaim that same level of hope, singing:

“Dreaming, believing, they would all come true. No star was too far away. I wish I could find that little girl I was way back when, I wanted to be Loretta Lynn.”

The touching song and Thompson’s sweet voice left the crowd mesmerized, and it’s no wonder why. You can listen to her perform the song in the clip below, which was taken during a Loretta Lynn concert in 2014.

Thompson’s tribute to Lynn is beautiful, and we can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us. She’s certainly making her cousin proud!