Lori McKenna
A Massachusetts mother of five who quietly became Nashville's secret weapon, writing raw, poetic songs about family and heartache that topped the charts.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: December 22·Generation X
Biography
Lori McKenna wrote "Girl Crush," a song that became a global phenomenon after Little Big Town recorded it in 2014. Born in 1968 in Stoughton, Massachusetts, she raised five children while married young, channeling the rhythms of domestic life—laundry, love, quiet sacrifices—into her music. Her early self-released albums caught Nashville insiders' attention. Faith Hill recorded a batch of McKenna's songs, providing her first major breakthrough. McKenna then co-founded the Love Junkies writing collective with Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose. Together they wrote hits for Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, and others. McKenna won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 2016. She continues to release her own albums, including "The Tree" and "The Balladeer," which showcase her ability to distill universal feelings into deceptively simple lyrics. She maintains the grounded family life that first inspired her work.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Lori was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lori Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Lori's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song for 'Girl Crush,' performed by Little Big Town.
- Won a second Grammy for Best Country Song for Tim McGraw's hit 'Humble and Kind.'
- Co-wrote 'Always Remember Us This Way' for the blockbuster film 'A Star Is Born.'
- Was the first songwriter to win the CMA Award for Song of the Year three times consecutively.
Did You Know?
She didn't learn to play guitar until she was in her 20s, taught by her husband.
She wrote her first song, 'Small Town Lies,' about a friend's divorce.
She still lives in the same Massachusetts town where she was born and raised.
She often writes songs in her car for peace and quiet away from her family.
“I think the best songs are the ones that feel like they were already written, and you're just the first person to find them.”
