Bret Michaels was one of many musicians paying tribute to country icon Loretta Lynn, who died yesterday (October 4) at age 90.
He shared on Instagram, “My heart is beyond heavy today as I have just learned of the passing of my good friend Loretta Lynn. I saw her a few weeks ago, & we sang some songs together. She was an incredible person, an incredible human being & an incredible talent who forged the way for women in the entertainment industry.”
The Poison frontman added, “I just spent time on her ranch, visiting with her & family. Singing songs & riding around on the ATVs & dirt bikes. One of the best days of my life was Thanksgiving when she sang Every Rose Has Its Thorn in the studio with me. She will forever be loved & missed.”
Rolling Stone saw his tribute and reached out to Michaels to talk more about his friendship with Lynn. He talked about his recent visit to her Tennessee ranch and singing with her.
“She was sitting there in a blanket and we started talking. She said, ‘Let’s do a song together. I wrote one that’s gonna be called ‘Good Good Times.’ She sang, ‘good good times and good good love/It comes from above.’ And then we sang a little bit of ‘Every Rose [Has Its Thorn].’”
He added, “We both knew she wasn’t feeling well. I wish I could tell you… both of us are kind of empathic, and you know when you just know?”
Michaels also touched on Lynn’s impact on music. He said, “It was important for me having daughters to tell her what a big influence she was in breaking open an industry that was a little tough. She was such an influence on my kids. She did it her way. I want to make sure the world knows that: she did it her way.”
Michaels re-recorded “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” with Lynn back in 2013 for his solo LP Jammin’ With Friends. The track also features Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Bon Jovi’s Hugh McDonald.
