The daughter of singer George Morgan, she made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry at age thirteen, performing Marie Osmond's "Paper Roses." Her father died when she was sixteen.
When her father died in 1975, she took over his band and began leading the group through various club gigs. Within a few years she disbanded the group, and in 1977 she went on to play with the Little Roy Wiggins band. She then became a receptionist and demo singer at Acuff-Rose, where she also wrote songs.
In 1978, she had one minor hit single; the following year another minor 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 acts, including Jack Greene, Billy Thunderkloud, and Jeannie Seely. She toured as a duet partner with George Jones and spent two years as part of the Opryland USA bluegrass show and as a regular singer on TNN's Nashville Now.
In 1983, TNN was launched as the first cable network devoted to country music. Morgan was a regular on the show Nashville Now, singing towards the end of each show.
In 1984, Morgan scored a minor hit with "Don't Go Changing". That year she became the youngest singer ever to join the Grand Ole Opry.
In 1988, Morgan was signed with RCA Records, her first major label.
In 1989, Morgan's first album Leave the Light On was released; "Trainwreck of Emotion" became her first Top 20 hit, followed by her first major hit with "Dear Me".
In 1990, Morgan had her first number one single, "Five Minutes". That song was also featured in her album Leave the Light On, which went gold.
In 1991, Morgan's second album Something in Red went platinum. Morgan married her third husband Brad Thompson, bus driver of Clint Black.
In 1992, Morgan's third album Watch Me was released on RCA's newest label, BNA Records, spawning the number one single "What Part of No".
In 1993, Morgan was the first female country artist to have three albums in a row to be certified platinum. Morgan's romantic life gained tabloid attention with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman following her third divorce.
In 1994, Morgan was voted Female Vocalist of the Year by the fans in TNN's Music City News awards. She would earn this honor again in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She also appeared on Frank Sinatra's Duets II album, singing a version of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" intertwined with Sinatra's "My Funny Valentine".
In 1995, Morgan had another number one song on the Country Charts called "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" from her Greatest Hits CD.
In 1996, Morgan was featured on the Beach Boys' now out-of-print album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 performing a cover of their 1964 hit "Don't Worry Baby". The Beach Boys provided the harmonies and backing vocals.
Personal life
======================
Morgan is known for her turbulent personal life -- she told Larry King in an interview that "drama is something that lets you know you're still alive." As of 2006, she is married to singer Sammy Kershaw; they were separated at one point but apparently have since reconciled. Kershaw is her fifth husband; she was married to country singer Keith Whitley from 1986 until his death in 1989. They had one child together, a son, Jesse Keith Whitley, born in 1987. She also has a daughter Morgan from her first marriage. Prior to Kershaw she was involved in a lengthy relationship with Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Troy Aikman.
[edit] U.S. Senator Fred Thompson and Lorrie Morgan (1994-1996)
Morgan was also romantically linked from 1994 to 1996 with actor, lobbyist, former U.S. Senator from Tennessee (and former Hendersonville, Tennessee resident), and possible 2008 Republican Presidential candidate Fred Dalton Thompson.
In her book Forever Yours, Faithfully: My Love Story, Morgan states that:
It was great to go out with an older man [Fred Thompson] who was very successful on his own. I felt very secure with him, and he became a wonderful friend, a caring, inspirational man who would encourage me not to doubt myself (which, maybe you can tell by now, is one of my best things).
Fred is an extremely generous man. He wined and dined me and bought me presents --- furs, earrings, Chanel shoes with real high heels.
For a while, I enjoyed my first exposure to politics. It was interesting to hear about political conversations, and people even began talking about Fred as a potential president. It was inevitable that I would be sitting at a glamorous party and would have the flickering thought, So, this is what it's like to be a First Lady. Hell, I could handle that. Then I would say, "Oops, better drop the 'hell'"
I put myself to the task of being a great companion to a stimulating and important man, and as a result I become boring. I lost my spunk, my spontaneity, I had to stop and think about the political implications of everything before I uttered a word in public. Was this a Democratic issue? Was this a Republican issue? I could not trust my best asset, my gut instincts. In other words, I could not be myself.
Fred let me know that it was important how I dressed. Sedate was in. Even if I felt like a little flair that night, forget it --- we might be with men who had big wallets and insecure wives, wives who were a little older than I was. So get that basic black dress out of the closet. And no cleavage, baby.
Fred's senator buddies loved me, and some of my friends said that they never seen me happier. For a while, I wanted to marry Fred, but I knew he could not accept me as I am.
Forever Yours, Faithfully: My Love Story. pp. 262-263. Lorrie Morgan with George Vecsey. 1997. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-41297-4
I Didn't Know My Own Strength
Lorrie Morgan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
wondering how will I ever be strong.
I know I'll live to love again.
I just leaned on you too long.
It's been an uphill fight,
but I'm going to be alright.
I didn't know my own strength
and carry on without your love.
I'm getting back on my feet.
Its been a long hard fall,
but I'll make it after all
No, I didn't know my own strength
I've had oceans of tears to get through
and the weight of the world on my mind.
There's been mountains of memories to lose
and I've been beating back the blows to my pride.
But till the times got tough
I never knew what I was made of.
I didn't know my own strength
till I had to pick myself up
and carry on without your love
I'm getting back on my feet.
Its been a long hard fall,
but I'll make it after.
No, I didn't know my own strength
Then the times got tough
and I knew what I was made of.
I didn't know my own strength
till I had to pick myself up
and carry on without your love.
I'm getting back on my feet.
Its been a long hard fall,
but I'll make it after
No, I didn't know my own strength
The lyrics to "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" by Lorrie Morgan describe the experience of having a broken heart and the process of healing and rediscovering one's own strength. The singer admits to having relied too heavily on someone else for support and affection, and now must learn to stand on her own two feet. She has been through a lot of pain and turmoil, shedding "oceans of tears" and struggling to overcome memories and hurt feelings. Yet, through this process, she discovers that she is stronger than she ever could have imagined.
The song carries a message of resilience and empowerment, showing that even in the darkest of moments, it is possible to find strength within oneself. The lyrics also touch on universal themes of heartbreak, loss, and emotional endurance, making the song relatable to many listeners. It combines elements of country, pop, and rock to create a powerful, emotionally charged ballad that is both uplifting and poignant.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been living with a heart on the mend,
My heart has been broken and in the process of healing.
wondering how will I ever be strong.
I've been questioning whether I will ever be strong again.
I know I'll live to love again.
Eventually I will be able to love again.
I just leaned on you too long.
I relied too heavily on someone else for support.
It's been an uphill fight,
It has been a struggle.
but I'm going to be alright.
Despite the challenges, I will be okay.
I didn't know my own strength
I never realized how strong I was.
till I had to pick myself up
Until I had to rely on myself.
and carry on without your love.
And move forward without the love and support of someone else.
I'm getting back on my feet.
I am recovering and moving forward.
Its been a long hard fall,
I have experienced a significant setback.
but I'll make it after all
Despite the difficulty, I will persevere.
No, I didn't know my own strength
Once again, I never realized how strong I truly was.
I've had oceans of tears to get through
I have experienced a lot of sadness and crying.
and the weight of the world on my mind.
I have been burdened with a heavy mental load.
There's been mountains of memories to lose
I have had to let go of many memories.
and I've been beating back the blows to my pride.
I have had to overcome feelings of shame and embarrassment.
But till the times got tough
Until I faced significant challenges.
I never knew what I was made of.
I didn't understand my own strength and resilience.
Then the times got tough
When I faced these challenges.
and I knew what I was made of.
I finally understood my own strength and resilience.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICK BOWLES, ROBERT BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kevin Gavigan
Session personnel (according to the album's liner notes)
Larry Byrom - acoustic guitar
Dann Huff - electric guitar
Leland Sklar - bass
Paul Franklin - steel guitar
Glen Duncan - fiddle
Paul Leim - drums
John Hobbs - piano
Jana King, Curtis Wright, Curtis Young - backing vocals
Joyce Leady
This song fits so many people. Especially her own life. She went through so much turmoil through her career. I hope someday they will give her more recognition then they have?
Mason Connor
Hello Joyce 👋 how are you ??
michael turner
One of the forgotten great women of country music. Great voice!
Mark Hinton
Heard!
Bill Edwards
Not many women can pull off short hair
dbkparm
Definitely haven't forgotten Lorrie Morgan!!❤️❤️
Tracy Le
She's my absolute all time favorite!!
Carly Marie McIntyre
Thanks from Carli
Alisha Taylor
This song has a personal meaning to me
AC Townsend
I’m a 30 something male and I can relate to it. It’s my favorite Lorrie song!!!