Patty Loveless facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patty Loveless
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Loveless performing at the Grand Ole Opry in 2007.
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| Born |
Patricia Lee Ramey
January 4, 1957 Pikeville, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active |
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| Spouse(s) |
Terry Lovelace
(m. 1973; div. 1986)Emory Gordy Jr.
(m. 1989) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
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Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She started performing as a teenager. In 1985, she signed her first record deal with MCA Records. She became famous with her cover of "If My Heart Had Windows".
Patty released five albums with MCA. Then, she moved to Epic Records in 1993 and released nine more. Four of her albums have sold over a million copies in the United States. These include Honky Tonk Angel and When Fallen Angels Fly.
Loveless has had 44 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Five of these songs reached number one. These hits include "Timber, I'm Falling in Love" and "Blame It on Your Heart".
Her music mixes different styles. These include traditional country, country pop, and bluegrass music. People often compare her singing voice to Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris. She has worked with artists like Vince Gill and George Jones. Her husband, Emory Gordy Jr., produced almost all her albums.
Patty Loveless mostly stopped performing in 2009. However, she still sings on other artists' songs sometimes. She has won many awards, including two Grammy Awards. On October 22, 2023, Loveless was welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life & Music Start
Patty Loveless was born Patricia Lee Ramey on January 4, 1957. She was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. She is one of seven children. Patty is a distant cousin of country singers Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle.
She grew up in Elkhorn City, Kentucky. Her father worked in a coal mine. He got sick with black lung disease from his job. This made the family move to Louisville, Kentucky, for his medical care. Her father passed away in 1979.
When she was 11, Patty started playing guitar. She wrote songs with her brother Roger. They performed together at local events. A music group called the Wilburn Brothers discovered them. They told Patty to keep practicing.
After high school, Patty toured with the Wilburn Brothers. She sang in their band. In 1973, she married their drummer, Terry Lovelace. She changed her name to Patty Loveless.
In the late 1970s, Patty sang rock cover songs. She performed in different places in the Midwest. By the mid-1980s, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee. She wanted to become a country artist. She was inspired by new country artists like Dwight Yoakam.
In Nashville, she sang demo recordings for other artists. She also signed a songwriting contract. Her brother Roger sent her demo tape to MCA Records. In July 1985, Patty signed with MCA.
Music Career Highlights
First Albums & Big Hits (1985-1990)
Patty Loveless started recording music with producers Tony Brown and Emory Gordy Jr.. Emory Gordy Jr. later became her husband. MCA Nashville released her first single, "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights," in 1985. Her first four songs did not become big hits.
MCA did not want to release an album at first. But Patty convinced them because her song "I Did" was popular with fans. Her first album, Patty Loveless, came out in 1986. Patty wrote "I Did" when she was 17.
Her second album, If My Heart Had Windows, came out in 1988. The song "If My Heart Had Windows" became her first top-10 hit. Another song, "A Little Bit in Love," reached number two. In 1988, Patty Loveless became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
In late 1988, her third album, Honky Tonk Angel, was released. Soon after, she married Emory Gordy Jr. The song "Blue Side of Town" became a top-five hit. Then came her first number-one song, "Timber, I'm Falling in Love". This song was written by Kostas.
"The Lonely Side of Love" also reached the top ten. In early 1990, "Chains" became her second number-one hit. Honky Tonk Angel sold over a million copies. This album helped make Loveless a major country music star.
Later Years with MCA (1990-1991)
In 1990, Patty released her fourth album, On Down the Line. The song "On Down the Line" was a top-five hit. She also had hits with "I'm That Kind of Girl" and "Blue Memories". This album sold 500,000 copies.
Her last album with MCA was Up Against My Heart in 1991. The song "Hurt Me Bad (In a Real Good Way)" was a top-five hit. Dolly Parton and Vince Gill sang on some songs. In 1992, Loveless left MCA Records. Her Greatest Hits album was released in 1993 and sold well.
Moving to Epic Records & Big Success (1992-1997)
Patty Loveless signed with Epic Records in late 1992. Before recording, she had surgery for a problem with her vocal cords. After recovering, she released Only What I Feel in 1993. This album was a big success.
Her first song for Epic was "Blame It on Your Heart". It became her third number-one hit in 1993. She also sang on George Jones's song "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair". This song won an award for Vocal Event of the Year.
Only What I Feel had three more hit songs: "Nothin' but the Wheel", "You Will", and "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye". The last two reached the top ten. "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Her next Epic album was When Fallen Angels Fly in 1994. The first song, "I Try to Think About Elvis", reached number three. Other top ten hits included "Here I Am" and "You Don't Even Know Who I Am". When Fallen Angels Fly won Album of the Year from the Country Music Association. Patty also won Top Female Vocalist awards in 1995 and 1996. This album sold over a million copies.
More Success at Epic (1996-1999)
In 1996, Epic released The Trouble with the Truth. The song "You Can Feel Bad" became her fourth number-one hit. "Lonely Too Long" became her fifth and last number-one song. The album also had the top-10 hit "She Drew a Broken Heart".
The Trouble with the Truth was nominated for Album of the Year. It also received two Grammy nominations. By 1998, this album had sold over a million copies.
In late 1997, Loveless had a top-20 hit with George Jones called "You Don't Seem to Miss Me". This was from her album Long Stretch of Lonesome. Other songs from this album also charted. "You Don't Seem to Miss Me" won an award for Vocal Event of the Year. This album sold 500,000 copies.
In 1998, she sang on the song "Same Old Train". This song won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration. This was Patty's first Grammy.
Her next album was a collection of hits called Classics in 1999. It included new songs like "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man" with Vince Gill. Patty and Vince had worked together before. This duet won an award for Vocal Event of the Year. Classics sold 500,000 copies. Patty took a short break from recording because she was sick.
Bluegrass Music & Later Years (2000-Present)
Loveless returned in 2000 with the album Strong Heart. It had two top-20 country songs: "That's the Kind of Mood I'm In" and "The Last Thing on My Mind".
She released two bluegrass albums in 2001 and 2002. The first was Mountain Soul. Patty had wanted to make an acoustic bluegrass album for a long time. This album included guest singers like Earl Scruggs. "Out of Control Raging Fire" was a duet with Travis Tritt. Mountain Soul was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.
This was followed by a Christmas bluegrass album, Bluegrass & White Snow: A Mountain Christmas, in 2002. It had traditional Christmas songs like "Silent Night".
Patty's next album was On Your Way Home in 2003. She wanted to mix bluegrass with modern instruments. The first song was a cover of Rodney Crowell's "Lovin' All Night". This was her last top-20 hit. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2004, Patty sang with Alan Jackson on his song "Monday Morning Church".
Her last album for Epic Records was Dreamin' My Dreams in 2005. It included cover songs like "Dreaming My Dreams with You".
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In 2006, Loveless sang with rock singer Bob Seger on his album. She then took a break from recording. Her mother and mother-in-law had passed away, and her brother had a stroke. Her next album, Sleepless Nights, came out in 2008. It was an album of cover songs. This album was nominated for Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards.
In 2009, Loveless released Mountain Soul II. This was a follow-up to her first Mountain Soul album. It also featured bluegrass and acoustic music. Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris sang on this album. Patty included Christian songs like "Children of Abraham."
Since 2009, Patty Loveless has mostly retired from performing. But she still sings on other artists' albums sometimes. She sang on Miranda Lambert's album in 2010. She also joined a program to raise awareness about lung disease, as her sister had died from it. She has sung on albums by Angaleena Presley and Carly Pearce.
In October 2022, Loveless performed at a benefit concert in Kentucky. This concert raised money for flood victims. She also sang with Chris Stapleton at the Country Music Association Awards.
Musical Style
Patty Loveless is known for her strong and emotional voice. People say she sounds like Loretta Lynn. She has had success with both upbeat and slower songs. Critics say she truly became a great artist when she moved to Epic Records in the 1990s.
Her voice has been described as "wild-and-wounded." She is not afraid to sing country rock songs. She also sings about strong women. Patty is known for being real and not trying to be flashy.
Her husband, Emory Gordy Jr., produced her albums. He helped her choose songs. Patty looks for songs that feel real. She likes songs that show both sides of a relationship.
Legacy & Awards
Patty Loveless has influenced many country music artists. She was very active in the 1990s. In 2017, Taste of Country ranked her as one of the most powerful women in country music. Singer Carly Pearce has said Patty Loveless influenced her career. They even sang together on a song called "Dear Miss Loretta".
Sara Evans has also said Patty Loveless is one of her favorite artists. She wants her future music to sound like Loveless's traditional country style.
In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine listed Loveless as one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. In April 2023, she was chosen to join the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was officially welcomed by her friend Vince Gill on November 22, 2023.
Personal Life
Patty Loveless first married Terry Lovelace in 1973. He was a drummer for the Wilburn Brothers. After marrying him, she changed her last name to Loveless. They divorced in 1986.
Her second marriage was to Emory Gordy Jr. in February 1989. Emory has been the bassist and producer for almost all of Patty's albums. He also produced albums for other famous bands like Alabama. Patty said their relationship inspired her song "When Fallen Angels Fly." Her brother Roger, who helped her early in her career, passed away in 2022.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Patty Loveless (1987)
- If My Heart Had Windows (1988)
- Honky Tonk Angel (1988)
- On Down the Line (1990)
- Up Against My Heart (1991)
- Only What I Feel (1993)
- When Fallen Angels Fly (1994)
- The Trouble with the Truth (1996)
- Long Stretch of Lonesome (1997)
- Strong Heart (2000)
- Mountain Soul (2001)
- Bluegrass & White Snow: A Mountain Christmas (2002)
- On Your Way Home (2003)
- Dreamin' My Dreams (2005)
- Sleepless Nights (2008)
- Mountain Soul II (2009)
Awards and nominations
Patty Loveless has won five Country Music Association awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, and two Grammy Awards.
Images for kids
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Loveless performing at the Grand Ole Opry in 2007.
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A view of buildings along a street in Pikeville, Kentucky.
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Songwriter Kostas in an outdoor setting.
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A headshot of singer Patty Loveless.
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Country music singer Vince Gill, strumming an acoustic guitar.
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Country music singer Rodney Crowell, seated on a stool and playing an acoustic guitar.
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Country music singer Patty Loveless signing an autograph.
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Emory Gordy Jr. playing an upright bass.
See also
In Spanish: Patty Loveless para niños
