Barbara Lynn
A left-handed guitarist from Texas who broke barriers for women in R&B with her self-penned 1962 smash hit 'You'll Lose a Good Thing'.
Born 1942 (age 84)·American rhythm and blues and electric blues guitarist and singer·Birthday: January 16·The Silent Generation
Biography
Barbara Lynn Ozen emerged from the fertile musical ground of Beaumont, Texas, a self-taught, left-handed guitarist who flipped the script. In an era where female performers were rarely instrumentalists and even more rarely songwriters, Lynn commanded the stage with her guitar and her pen. Her breakthrough was both sudden and seismic: 'You'll Lose a Good Thing,' a song she wrote as a teenager, shot to number one on the R&B charts in 1962, catching the ear of everyone from The Rolling Stones to Aretha Franklin, who would later cover it. Her sound, a potent blend of Gulf Coast blues, soulful vocals, and crisp guitar lines, defined a career that, while not always in the mainstream spotlight, earned deep respect. Decades later, the recognition solidified with a National Heritage Fellowship and a place in the Blues Hall of Fame, cementing her status as a pioneering architect of soul and blues.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Barbara was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Barbara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Barbara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 80
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 84 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote and performed the 1962 R&B chart-topper 'You'll Lose a Good Thing,' which became a standard covered by numerous artists.
- Pioneered a role for women as a lead guitarist and songwriter in the male-dominated rhythm and blues scene of the 1960s.
- Received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2018 for her contributions to American music.
- Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016 for her impact on the genre.
Did You Know?
She is naturally right-handed but taught herself to play guitar left-handed, without re-stringing it, creating a unique upside-down style.
As a teenager, she performed in a band called Bobbie Lynn and Her Idols.
She made an appearance on the American music dance television show 'American Bandstand' in 1967.
Her song 'You'll Lose a Good Thing' was covered by both Freddy Fender and Aretha Franklin.
“I just picked up the guitar and started playing it upside down. I didn't know any different.”
