Edmonds Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Lorrie Morgan, Grand Ole Opry lifetime member, performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 13, at Edmonds Center for the Arts.

Morgan is the first woman in her genre to begin her career with three consecutive Platinum albums. Born Loretta Lynn Morgan, she is the daughter of Grand Ole Opry star George Morgan and made her professional debut at age 13 on the Opry, where her rendition of "Paper Roses" received a standing ovation.

When her father died in 1975, Morgan took over his band and began leading the group through various club gigs. Within a few years, she had disbanded the group, and in 1977, went on to play with the Little Roy Wiggins band.

In 1978, Morgan garnered one hit single; the following year, another hit with "I'm Completely Satisfied," an electronically dubbed duet with her late father.

She began touring Nashville nightclubs and opened for a number of artists, including Jack Greene, Billy Thunderkloud, and Jeanie Seely. She also toured as a duet partner with George Jones and spent two years as part of the Opryland USA bluegrass show and as a guest singer on TNN's "Nashville Now."

Morgan married fellow country singer Keith Whitley in 1986. She was signed to RCA Records in 1987, and her onslaught of hits began the following year.

Whitley's tragic death of an alcohol overdose in 1989 left Morgan a widowed working mother. Their duet "Til a Tear Becomes a Rose" earned her a 1990 CMA award.

Her first three albums, "Leave the Light On" (1989), "Something in Red" (1991) and "Watch Me" (1992), all earned Platinum Record awards. Her "Greatest Hits" collection (1999) is also Platinum. "War Paint" (1994), "Greater Need" (1996) and "Shakin' Things Up" (1997) are all Gold Record winners.

Morgan's latest album is "Letting Go ... Slow."

"Where I am in my life right now, I'm not afraid to express what I feel, or what I don't feel," she said about the collection's varied moods.

"I'm not afraid to express my views on anything, especially on being a woman. I have been a daughter, a bride, a mother, a divorcee, a widow, a single mother, a breadwinner and, ultimately, a survivor.

"In many ways, I am a living, breathing country song, and I know what I sing."

Tickets to ECA Presents Lorrie Morgan: $34-$69, with 10% discount for seniors and military. $15 youth/student pricing available directly through the box office. Call 425-275-9595, go online at http://www.ec4arts.org, or visit in person at the ECA Box Office, 410 Fourth Ave. N.