It’s not exactly polite to focus on a lady’s age. But these four female country music legends deserve some recognition for being the oldest stars still kickin’ it today. And some of them are still hard at work well into their 70s!
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1. Billy Jean Horton
Billy Jean Horton is 91 years old as of 2024. She’s well-known for her marriages to Hank Williams and Johnny Horton, but she also deserves some credit for her music. She was a talented singer/songwriter as well as a successful music promoter in the country world. Today, she has since retired and lives in an assisted living facility in Louisiana.
2. Dolly Parton
Would it really be a list of the oldest (and most successful) female country music legends alive today without mentioning the incomparable Dolly Parton? Parton is 78 years old as of 2024, and she shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. While Parton has more or less retired from touring and performing live, she is still releasing new music. She is also focused on her other business ventures, namely Dollywood, an upcoming autobiographical musical, and more.
3. Linda Ronstadt
Widely considered one of the best singer/songwriters and vocalists of progressive country music, Linda Ronstadt is 77 as of 2024. Ronstadt suffers from progressive supranuclear palsy and has since retired from making music and performing live.
4. Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is 77 as of 2024. She is one of the most iconic country rock artists of all time, and her contributions from the 1970s through the 1990s are still beloved today. In 2021, she told Clash Magazine that she was more focused on writing her memoir than writing new music because she didn’t feel any sense of urgency to do so. However, she is still performing live today.
Photo by Jason Kempin
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