Loretta Lynn’s First Gospel Music Festival a Success

Loretta Lynn has been hosting country music concerts at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. for years, but last weekend [Sept. 28 - 29] marked the first Loretta Lynn Gospel Music Festival, an event that Lynn hopes will become an annual tradition.

The sold-out event was hosted by theSneed Family and drew an audience spanning denominations, with some concertgoers setting up lawn chairs after the reserved seating disappeared.

“The Loretta Lynn Gospel Music Festival had to be one of the most memorable events that I have ever been a part of,” says Jeff Sneed, promoter and director of the event, in a press release. “The fellowship and love that was felt took me back to the days of an ‘All Day Sing and Dinner on the Ground,’ when God and family were first in people's life. And I must say, there were no disappointments in meeting this sweet legend in country music.”

Saturday’s lineup included headliners Karen Peck & New River, Brian Free & Assurance, the Hoppers and the Freemans, while Sunday brought the Isaacs and Gold City Quartet to the stage. The Sneed Family also took to the stage, performing their songs for the crowd and bringing their host out on stage to sing with them.

“Not only was it exciting to hear her [Lynn] perform her hits, but having the privilege to escort this legend to the stage and stand and sing with her will forever be a precious memory in my mind,” Sneed said. “Looking forward to the festival next year, and we will be releasing details in a few weeks.”

Due to the success of the show, event organizers are working on setting the dates and lineup for next year's event.