Longtime fans of either Jack White or Loretta Lynn will probably know about their unlikely friendship. The country legend had a sweet, parental relationship with the blues rocker after they crossed paths in the early 2000s. From there, they collaborated on several projects, and remained close friends until her death in 2022.
During an appearance on 60 Minutes in 2004, Lynn spoke about their collaboration on “Portland Oregon,” which was featured on her album Van Lear Rose. She also explained how they met and became fast friends.
“You know, he’s a little old country boy from Detroit,” Lynn described White, when host Mike Wallace expressed surprise that they’d hit it off. At the time, Jack White was still in The White Stripes and doing fairly well for himself. His connection to Loretta Lynn, however, happened completely by chance.
Jack and Meg White had been recording White Blood Cells in Memphis, Tennessee, and were driving back home. “We saw a sign that said ‘Loretta Lynn’s Dude Ranch,’” White explained during the segment, sitting with Lynn. “We drove onto the property and we saw a house. And we couldn’t believe it, we were like, ‘That’s where she lives,’” he recalled.
Jack White and Loretta Lynn Recall Their Chance Meeting Which Led to a Fulfilling Friendship
After the experience of a random roadside stop at Loretta Lynn’s Dude Ranch, The White Stripes dedicated their 2001 album to the country icon. To thank them, Lynn invited Meg and Jack over for dinner.
“I had him and Meg down to eat with me, and I fixed chicken and dumplings and made homemade bread,” said Lynn, “and he sat there with a loaf of homemade bread and a stick of butter, and he said ‘This is the best bread I’ve ever eaten in my life.’”
Jack White confirmed and reiterated this statement in the interview. From there, Loretta Lynn and The White Stripes toured and recorded together, building a collaborative friendship.
“We have a really good relationship, it’s just good the way we connect to each other,” White explained. “It’s kind of that feeling when you meet somebody and you just kind of feel like you’ve known them forever.”
Through frequent visits to Lynn’s home, Jack White discovered several unrecorded songs. Lynn had built up a trove of lyrics that she’d never done anything with. While White joked that he’d been “snooping around her house looking for something to steal,” which earned a laugh from Lynn, he explained that he’d discovered notebooks full of lyrics. Many of the songs he and Lynn rediscovered went on to feature on her album Van Lear Rose.
Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage for The Recording Academy
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