Loretta Lynn returns after stroke to honor Alan Jackson at Country Music Hall of Fame induction

(23 Oct 2017) LORETTA LYNN RETURNS AFTER STROKE TO HONOR ALAN JACKSON AT COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION Country icon Loretta Lynn returned to the Country Music Hall of Fame for the first time since she suffered a stroke in May, to formally induct Alan Jackson, Sunday (22 OCT. 2017). Jackson joined late guitarist and singer Jerry Reed and songwriter Don Schlitz to become the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame during the ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee. Lynn, who cancelled her tour dates this year to recover, said Jackson was the only person that could make her leave her house. She recalled meeting Jackson when he was a nervous young artist decades ago and knowing then that he would "be one of the greatest singers in country music." "He hadn't let me down," said Lynn, who is also a member of the Hall of Fame. The 59-year-old Jackson is one of country music's most successful solo artists, having sold nearly 45 million albums in the United States and had 26 singles reach the top of the Billboard country charts. Many of his hits became instant classics, from the bar-room staple "Chattahoochee" to the somber "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" written after Sept. 11, 2001. Reed, who died at age 71 in 2008, was first known as an in demand studio musician with a unique finger picking style on the guitar. He played for and wrote songs for stars like Elvis Presley and Porter Wagoner. In later years, he started appearing in TV and movies, most notably playing Burt Reynolds' sidekick in "Smokey and the Bandit." He also sang many of the songs on the soundtrack, including "East Bound and Down." His daughters, Seidina Hubbard and Lottie Zavala, accepted the honor on his behalf. Schlitz, 65, from Durham, North Carolina, had his first songwriting hit in 1978 when Kenny Rogers recorded his song "The Gambler," which became Rogers' signature song throughout his career. Songs he helped write include "On the Other Hand" and "Forever and Ever, Amen," both sung by Randy Travis. Aloe Blacc and Vince Gill sang a duet version of "The Gambler" at the ceremony, while singers Charlie Worsham and Mary Chapin Carpenter also performed his songs in his honor. #Loretta# Lynn #stroke Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...