Loretta Lynn Doing Fine Despite False Reports in Billboard, Other Outlets
The good news is that country music legend Loretta Lynn is doing fine after a recently experiencing a short stomach flu, and having to be hospitalized briefly, forcing her to miss the CMT Artists of the Year event on Wednesday (10-17) where she was scheduled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The bad news is that a string of fake news stories have made it across the internet that the 86-year-old’s health has gone through a major setback and that she is in the hospital, citing someone who does not have any intimate knowledge on Loretta Lynn, but just happens to share her last name.
“Well Y’all, leave it to me to go and get sick on the very night all my friends are getting together to honor me at the CMT Award Show as their Artist of a Lifetime,” Loretta Lynn said on social media Wednesday. “I can’t believe that I’m not gonna be there tonight in person, but I am watching and I’m there in spirit!”
That seemed to be the end of it, but then on Saturday afternoon (10-20), gossip site Radar Online posted a story that Loretta Lynn was sent back to the hospital with ‘serious issues,’ citing the source of the information as Michael Lynn. There is a Michael Lynn who did post on Saturday morning,
I am very sad to report this morning that the Queen of Country Music, Ms. Loretta Lynn has had some setbacks in her recovery and is back in the hospital with some serious issues. She needs our prayers right now, and the one thing I do know for sure is that she is a fighter and will not go down easy. PLEASE pray today for her. For official news about her, please read the updates on LORETTA LYNN OFFICIAL.
However Michael Lynn—who also happens to be a musician—was just sharing the news of Loretta’s illness from Wednesday on his Facebook feed. Michael Lynn has no relation to Loretta Lynn whatsoever. But this did not stop multiple major music and entertainment websites from picking up the story, and posting their own articles, also citing Michael Lynn as the source, and naming him as a relative (which he never claimed). This included the largest source for music information in the world—Billboard Magazine—who at the time of posting, has still yet to fully correct their story.
“Saturday evening rant: Ladies and gentlemen, I am NOT related to Loretta Lynn or ANY member of the Lynn family!” Michael Lynn posted on Facebook. “I will be filing a lawsuit Monday morning against Billboard Magazine for posting that I am a relative. Hopefully the Lynn family will join me in this lawsuit … I am the “evil” Michael Lynn. My full name is Michael Lynn Taylor and Billboard magazine mistakenly posted that I am a relative. I will be filing a lawsuit against them Monday morning at the Courthouse in Waverly, Tennessee. Hopefully the Lynn family will join me in this lawsuit. I apologize for Billboard Magazine’s mistake.”
Loretta Lynn’s daughter Peggy Lynn Marchetti also posted on Facebook about the fake news.
“Fake news story going around from some guy posing to be a family member or posing to be close to family… its fake news. But thank y’all for your prayers mom did have a really horrible stomach flu this last week. She is home and doing nicely recovering. I so wished these news outlets would check their sources before running with gossip.”
Health news about music legends has become big business of online outlets. Fake news about Willie Nelson’s death has become so pervasive over the years, he even wrote a song about it. In the case of Loretta Lynn, major music and entertainment periodicals ran with a story based off of social media assumptions as opposed to fact checking sources.
Screenshots of the fake news (Saving Country Music won’t be linking to them) can be seen below, and were still not corrected as of late Sunday morning, aside from Billboard posting Peggy Lynn’s statement as an update.
TxMusic
October 21, 2018 @ 10:38 am
Fake news, lawsuit for being being incorrectly credited. Full dotard.
Trigger
October 21, 2018 @ 1:28 pm
Yes, the people who are receiving the most criticism for this story are a random guy on Facebook who simply wanted to share his thoughts for Loretta Lynn, and the outlets who are accurately reporting that the stories in Billboard, Radar Online, and other places were fake news—which they were—simply because the term “fake news” has become a political dog whistle. Billboard’s completely inaccurate story went viral and spread false information, and it’s still up and still claims that Michael Lynn is a relative of Loretta. They’re getting away Scott free, and it’s Michael Lynn that’s the “dotard.”
People should be fired over this story. Instead, it’s the people getting it right and working to correct it who are being the most heavily criticized.
Stupid.
Sam Cody
October 21, 2018 @ 5:10 pm
Awwwww. That’s so cute that you think there’s still a such thing as FACTS! How adorable…
TxMusic
October 21, 2018 @ 5:26 pm
You’re really playing to the crowd now.
Woogeroo
October 22, 2018 @ 1:18 am
slander is still a thing.
ScottG
October 21, 2018 @ 11:19 am
I’m curious to know exactly what was behind calling him a relative. Lazy assumption? Deliberate fib? Game of telephone? Whichever way it’s weak sauce. That said, I hope he doesn’t quit his day job in anticipation of a fat payout on that lawsuit.
Big Red
October 21, 2018 @ 11:28 am
Maybe it’s less about the payout and more about the precedent?
ScottG
October 21, 2018 @ 12:07 pm
One can hope…
Seth of Lampasas
October 21, 2018 @ 11:34 am
I don’t think he would win anyway, because all billboard’s lawyers have to point out is that he was being deceptive by not posting his last name. I’m glad she’s doing better.
Trigger
October 21, 2018 @ 1:01 pm
Michael Lynn NEVER represented himself as a relative of Loretta Lynn. Someone, likely writing for Radar Online, saw his post on Facebook, assumed he was related to Loretta due to the fact that he’s a musician, and wrote an article based off of a wild-eyed assumption that was flatly wrong. Then Billboard and other sites ran with that information without ever questioning or verifying it. Then Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys and scores of others shared the information on Facebook, creating concern among Loretta Lynn fans. Then when Peggy Lynn Marchetti posted on Facebook that Michael Lynn was falsely claiming to be a relative, Michael Lynn began to be attacked by people on Facebook for lying about his relation to Loretta, when he never did any such thing.
I agree Michael Lynn’s chances of winning a lawsuit would be slim, but if he can show damages due to being harassed online due to Billboard’s and Radar Online’s false reporting, or show that it may have hurt his career as a musician, he could make a case.
Luckyoldsun
October 21, 2018 @ 7:54 pm
He’s not filing any lawsuit and he has no case. Being called a relative of Loretta Lynn is not defamatory.
If Michael Lynn is being harassed, it appears to be due to his posting a false story about Loretta Lynn–It’s not due to his being mistakenly identified as a relative.
If that jerk has the money to mount a lawsuit against Billboard over nothing, I’ll take a bite out of my “Coal Miner’s Daughter” LP
Trigger
October 21, 2018 @ 8:03 pm
Michael Lynn didn’t post a fake story about Loretta Lynn. He’s just a dude with a Facebook page who posted his concern for Loretta’s health scare three days late. A personal Facebook page is not a publishing apparatus. He’s just an Average Joe. When you work as a professional journalist, especially for a publication as big as Billboard, it is dependent on you to check facts. Clearly, Billboard, Radar Online, and others didn’t do that in this situation.
GREG
October 21, 2018 @ 12:02 pm
Like someone once said: always Loretta’s website for news on Loretta.If something is wrong with her health,it will be on there.
And,Kyle will post it here on Saving Country Music,too
Trigger
October 21, 2018 @ 1:03 pm
Yes, this Michael Lynn guy said that himself in his original post. Ironically, all the media outlets who reported on the news didn’t heed that warning.
Luckyoldsun
October 21, 2018 @ 7:57 pm
What makes you think that if something is wrong with Loretta’s health, it will be on her website?
Do you think she’s committed to posting everything about her health on her website and has delegated and tasked people to do it?
GREG
October 22, 2018 @ 11:52 am
If it’s seious,and the family,plus Loretta want the fans to know about it,Loretta,or the family,will have the people who run her site post it on her site.
I’m not saying everything about her health will be on her web site.I’m just saying if something is serious,she,or the family,will post it on her site if the fans need to know.Loretta loves her fans,and would never try to hide anything from the fans if the news is something the fans need to know,something serious.
I have met Loretta.She is a great lady.And,IMO,the greatest singer.
King Honky Of Crackershire
October 21, 2018 @ 12:56 pm
I remember, in the days before Merle Haggard died, there were articles here and elsewhere telling us that Merle was not about to die.
ScottG
October 21, 2018 @ 4:34 pm
You predicted the Return of Chet. What’s your cracker ball telling you about this one?
Charlie
October 21, 2018 @ 1:19 pm
It’s a shame the gossip about her health is so rampant, because what I’ve heard off her album is fantastic. For her to release an album like that, at her age–well that is just outstanding.
Shut the fuck up and listen to the music!!
GREG
October 21, 2018 @ 1:23 pm
Her new CD is selling great,”Wouldn’t it Be Great”.
Even Cracker Barrel has had to re-order Loretta’s new CD,because they sold out.
Proving again,we love Loretta & real Country music.
Hey Arnold
October 21, 2018 @ 1:27 pm
Alexa, play “Doing Fine” by Lauren Alaina.
…
God Bless Loretta Lynn… The Betty White of Country music
liza
October 21, 2018 @ 1:43 pm
I hate the term fake news with my whole being.
Raymond Johnson
October 21, 2018 @ 2:16 pm
The problem with this story is the same problem that is crippling accountability and truthfulness in news stories – people are too eager to “break a story” and be the bearer of good/bad news. I have a Communications degree and the first thing you learn is to always check your sources. For a publication like Billboard to pick the story up and reference the man as a relative to the Lynn family is ridiculous.
A few weeks back, I read that Gladys Knight had the same cancer that killed Aretha Franklin. Guess what…fake news. Gladys had cancer in the past, but is currently in remission. The story went on to be that Gladys had a different type of cancer.
The same goes for all of the death hoaxes of Willie Nelson and other stars. Are the people who are “breaking” these stories not aware the truth will eventually come out? Unless I read it on numerous sites, I do not even believe it is true,
There is enough bad news in the press without making up more to add to it. In the words of one of my professors, facts make the story, not the details.
Benny Lee
October 22, 2018 @ 6:26 am
When clickbait is your business model, the truth coming out later doesn’t matter.
Jack Humphrey
October 21, 2018 @ 3:35 pm
Freaking fake news at it again. Glad we can always count on Trig and SCM.
Jack Humphrey
October 21, 2018 @ 3:37 pm
P.S. I FINALLY gave Tyler Childer’s latest record a good long listen and I’m blown away. Thanks so much for turning me on to this awesome musician.
Dobe Daddy
October 23, 2018 @ 7:29 am
If you think the record is good, wait until you see him live.
ScottG
October 21, 2018 @ 4:56 pm
For the record, I do know the difference between this incident and what I’m about to say… but I can’t help thinking…. what about Billboard / the mainstream corporate music industry isn’t Fake? With minor exception, Fake People celebrating Fake music honored with Fake calculations…. Fake arm tans, lips, go down the list…Fake motives, Fake (computerized) production, Fake image, sometimes Fake singers all together. Is there all that much real about it? I guess for those who clear their huge advances and deceptive contracts, the money is real. But perhaps there isnt much integrity there to begin with…
Biscuit
October 21, 2018 @ 5:00 pm
What ever happened to fact checkers at major publications? The internet has dumbed down journalism.
Lindsey
October 21, 2018 @ 5:16 pm
Since Waverly, Tennessee was mentioned:
With Waverly being directly down the highway from Loretta’s home, Michael using his Lynn name, and his concern for Loretta, I can actually understand someone thinking he might be one of the family. That information should have been double checked, though. It’s not like he gave any additional information, either. Why wouldn’t they just refer to what was posted on her official page?
Dobe Daddy
October 22, 2018 @ 8:25 am
It’s long past time to take Billboard magazine down to Fist City.
RWP
October 22, 2018 @ 8:47 am
Her granddaughter Tayla Lynn post this on facebook bright and early yesterday morning during the thick of the news :
Y’all. Listen up. I am sitting here reading about Memaws health from a man I have never even heard of?
Michael Lynn is not related to us unless he’s some distant cousin we don’t know 😂
For someone with the last name Lynn to make a statement about Memaws health and none of us even know him is bizarre.
Always wait to hear from us, you know us. You know who she is close to. Have you ever seen her with Michael Lynn?
Watch her socials. Please don’t keep sharing his post. We know how much you love Memaw. I promise you that if there is something you need to know, that’s public, that Memaw doesn’t mind being shared……you’ll read it straight from her.
Stay tuned. Hold on.
I’ll leave you with this.
I just got off the phone with Memaw.
She’s at home. She gave Tre Twitty and I a talkin’ to saying
“Y’all be careful, i worry about y’all, come visit me and I’ll fix your show , me and Conway (cause Memaw and spirits) will take care of ya, I’m proud of you. I love yens”
She is resting and well.
Thank you for love and light xoxoxo We love you