Oliver Lynn

Oliver Vanetta Lynn Jr. (August 27, 1926 – August 22, 1996), commonly known as Doolittle Lynn (also Doo and Mooney), was an American talent manager and country music figure, known as the husband of country music singer Loretta Lynn. Over the course of their often-tumultuous 48-year marriage, Lynn was instrumental in developing his wife's musical talent and country music career, purchasing her first guitar, lining up her first radio appearances, and serving as her de facto talent manager for many years. Lynn was also the President of Loretta Lynn Enterprises, Inc., a company formed in 1973 to take care of Lynn's businesses. He also worked on the farm he and his wife bought in 1966 and eventually opened as a tourist attraction. Lynn worked the land, and developed the first Loretta Lynn Rodeo in Goodlettsville in the early 1960s. In addition to his ongoing support for his young wife's career, Lynn's relationship with his wife was described in the following: "[He] thought I was something special, more special than anyone in the world, and never let me forget it... Doo was my security, my safety net". He was also known to be violent, an alcoholic, and a womanizer who was a somewhat reluctant participant in his wife's life as a country music celebrity. The couple's marriage, which began when he was 21 and she was 15, has been described by historians and music scholars as "one of the great legends of the twentieth century" and "one of the most compelling tales in American popular culture."