Patty Loveless is getting her flowers. The country legend and Hall of Fame inductee is the subject of a new exhibit headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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Patty Loveless: No Trouble With the Truth will trace Loveless' story from a young Kentucky dreamer from a coal mining family to a Grammy-winning country music icon who's inspired legions of singers with hits such as "Blame It On Your Heart," "You Don't Even Know Who I Am," "That Kind of Girl," "The Trouble With the Truth," "You Can Feel Bad" and many more.
"My journey into a career of music all started out on an Epiphone acoustic guitar my father bought for me in 1969," Loveless said in a press statement. "As a 12-year-old, I didn't want to set the world on fire, I just wanted to play and sing music. By the age of 14, I wrote 'Sounds of Loneliness' and 'I Did' on this guitar, two songs that in 1986 ended up on my debut album for MCA records. Now that guitar will be displayed in my exhibit of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum where it truly belongs with other memorabilia of the many people that supported me throughout my musical journey to whom I'm forever grateful."
According to a press release, the exhibit will also feature the jacket and floral-print dress Loveless wore when Porter Wagoner inducted her into the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1988; the black velvet dress she wore for the 1991 "That Kind of Girl" music video; the 1987 Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar frequently used by Loveless onstage; and a handwritten manuscript by songwriter Kostas for Loveless' hit "Timber, I'm Falling in Love."
Other meaningful items of clothing include the Givenchy black jacket and pants the "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" singer wore when she and Vince Gill performed "Go Rest High on That Mountain" at the funeral service for George Jones at the Grand Ole Opry House on May 2, 2013; the monogrammed USO jacket she wore during a USO Tour of military bases in Alaska, Japan and South Korea in 1988; and the beaded, floral-print Black Tie Oleg Cassini dress she wore at the CMA Awards in 1998, when she received the Vocal Event of the Year award for her recording of the Jim Lauderdale-penned "You Don't Seem to Miss Me," a collaboration with Jones.
Photo by Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
"Patty Loveless achieved lasting success by merging traditional country music styles with a modern sensibility in her song choices and musical arrangements," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "As one of country music's most accomplished song interpreters with immense vocal power, she has remained focused on conveying deep emotion through her lyrics and recordings, and her influence resonates throughout today's generation of country artists."
In support of the exhibit, Loveless will participate in a conversation and acoustic performance in the museum's CMA Theater on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 2:30 p.m. During the event, Loveless will share stories and memories associated with the items featured in the exhibit.
Though Loveless has taken a hiatus in recent years, she's continued to be a sought-after vocalist, collaborating with artists such as Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Carly Pearce, John Prine, Bob Seger and Chris Young.
At the 2022 CMA Awards, Loveless joined fellow Kentuckian Chris Stapleton and Stapleton's wife, singer-songwriter Morgan Stapleton, to perform "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive," which Loveless recorded for her 2001 album Mountain Soul.
Loveless will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October, alongside Tanya Tucker and Bob McDill.
Patty Loveless: No Trouble With the Truth will open on Aug. 23, 2023, and run through October 2024.
