A Few Moments With Lorrie Morgan
“I have been a daughter, a bride, a mother, a divorcee, a single mother, a grandmother, a breadwinner, and ultimately a survivor,” says Lorrie Morgan. “In many ways, I’m a living, breathing country song. I know what I sing, and my music has a healing power for me personally.”
The daughter of country music royalty, Lorrie Morgan first stepped on stage with her father, the legendary George Morgan. She’s still in the family business, and now her son with Keith Whitley, Jesse Keith, is getting ready to make his mark in music. Lorrie’s current tour has just been extended, and we caught up with her on the road.
CMC: The Grand Ole Opry is one of our partners. What do you remember about going out on the Opry stage to sing “Paper Roses” when you were 13?
L.M.: It was the highlight of my life to that point, of course. I remember so much about it, but it just flew by. What was so great about it to me was that it was my dad’s vote of confidence in me. He was saying, “You can do this.” I think he probably had more faith in me than I did at that point! He was there, of course, and so were many other Opry stars I idolized.
Your parents named you Loretta Lynn Morgan, but that was before Loretta ever became a star, right?
Right. I was born in 1959, and Loretta didn’t come to town until maybe 1960 or ’61. She calls me her namesake, but I wasn’t.
Your dad was the last singer to take the stage when the Opry closed out of the Ryman and the first to take the new stage at Opryland. Were you there?
I was. I think they chose him because he was such a great host. The guys who ran the Opry then, Bud Wendell and Hal Durham, they knew my dad would do a professional job, and it was a great honor.
Did you realize, like Hank Jr., that you can’t make a career out of a tribute to your father no matter how much you loved him?
That’s exactly it. I loved my dad, but I knew early on that my music and his were different. I had a blast going out with his old band, but I knew I needed to go in a different direction.
Was there ever any doubt that you’d go into the “family business”? Did you think about other careers or was the stage it for you?
It was touch-and-go for a while. There was a time when I’d tried to get on every record in town. I’d knocked on every door. They’d say, “Aww, we ain’t got room right now” or “We don’t need a girl singer right now.” I remember saying to my mom that I was either going to cosmetology school or studying to become a prosecuting attorney. It was down to the wire. Then Joe Galante at RCA called me and told me I was on RCA.
The song you’re most identified with is “Something in Red.” Everyone on the cruise will be waiting to hear it. Do you remember how that song came to you and what you thought the first time you heard it?
I turned that song down three, four or five times. I’d get to the “blue” verse, and I’d just turn it off. I’d say, “I don’t want to do ‘poor, pitiful me’ songs.” The label kept begging me to do it. Then one time I took a girlfriend out on tour with me, and she took me in the bathroom, got out a recorder and played that song. That’s when I fell in love with it. That’s when it hit me. It didn’t get to No. 1, but it sold so many albums for me, and it’s still my most requested song.
How did the invitation to sing on Frank Sinatra’s “Duets II” album come about?
You know, I’ve no idea. My manager called and asked me. How could I say no? It was something I’ll never forget, and of course it was Frank Sinatra’s last album. We did “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” and “My Funny Valentine.” I was shaking so bad, but the producer, Phil Ramone, was so encouraging and sweet. It was a magic moment in the studio.
The new female country singers are as young as you were when you started. Do you want to pass on advice, or is it up to them to make their own decisions, mistakes, wrong moves, right moves?
They have to do it their way. That’s part of being the new generation. They have to take country music somewhere new. If one of them called me, I’d probably say, “Hey, you’re selling more records than me; maybe I should ask you for advice!”
Your son, Jesse Keith Whitley — his career is getting underway and you performed together at the ACM awards.
It’s all starting for him. He’s playing at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge tonight as a matter of fact. He’s got a lot of talent and some good people working with him. They’re looking for the right label and the right opportunities.
Where is home for you these days?
We have a home on the lake 30 minutes from Nashville. We’re very fortunate.
Your last album was “Dos Divas” with Pam Tillis. Any plans for a new album?
Yes indeed! I’ve just signed with a label in New York. I’m starting to prepare songs for a brand-new country album, and we have plans to do a gospel album, and a Broadway musical based on my life.
Have you ever been on a cruise before?
Twice before. Once I was sick — not seasick but sick with a bronchial infection that wouldn’t clear up, so I don’t have good memories of that cruise. But the second cruise was fabulous, and I’m really looking forward to The Country Music Cruise. I’m taking my family and some friends, and I’m looking forward to making some new friends on board. A bunch of my favorite artists will be on there with me, so it’ll be friends and family on the high seas. It’ll be great!
Watch Lorrie Morgan perform on The Country Music Cruise 2015. Book your cabin.