As Loretta Lynn, 85, continues to recover from a stroke she suffered in May, she announced today (July 12) that she is canceling all 2017 tour dates and postponing the release of her new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great.
Wouldn’t It Be Great, which was originally slated to drop in August 2017, will be released in 2018.
“Thank you so much for all of your prayers, love and support,” said Loretta in a statement on her website. “I’m happy to say that I’m at home with my family and getting better by the day! My main focus now is making a full recovery so that I can get back to putting all of me into what I love, sharing my music with all of you. My new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, was originally scheduled to come in August this year. I now want to wait to release it next year because this record is so special for me. It deserves me at my best and I can’t wait to share it. I want to thank everyone for hanging in there with me. I am getting stronger every day and can’t wait to get back out there with all of you. I’m just letting everybody know that Willie ain’t dead yet and neither am I, and I can’t wait to see all of you on the road!”
All of the tunes on the new 10-song offering were penned or co-penned by Loretta. Like the album’s predecessor, the Grammy-nominated Full Circle (March 2016), Wouldn’t It Be Great was mainly recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tenn., with producers Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash. The album features new songs “Ruby’s Stool,” “Ain’t No Time to Go” and “I’m Dying for Someone to Live For” alongside newly recorded renditions of past compositions such as “God Makes No Mistakes,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).”
