Loretta Lynn becomes first woman to get statue outside famed Grand Ole Opry venue

Country music icon Loretta Lynn became just the third person — and first woman — to earn a statue outside the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

The statue was unveiled Tuesday, just over 60 years after Lynn’s first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.

“This touches my heart so much!” the Kentucky native wrote on Facebook. “I can’t even believe it. I love the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry so much.”

Statues of Bill Monroe and Little Jimmy Dickens were unveiled outside the Ryman in 2017.

Calling Lynn the “First Lady of Country Music,” Ryman Auditorium general manager Gary Levy said Lynn’s contributions to country music “remain some of the most impactful and enduring as any artist that has played here.”

Lynn was previously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame and received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. Her albums have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

Now 88 years old, Lynn remains one of the most popular artists in the country music genre. She has 10 No. 1 records and 16 singles that have topped Billboard’s country charts.

“I don’t think it’s possible to tell the history of the Opry or the Ryman without talking about Loretta,” Ryman CEO Collin Reed said before unveiling the statue. “She is a trailblazer who has remained one of the most beloved entertainers to ever step foot on this wonderful stage.”