Sheryl Crow Pays tribute To Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette

(AP) - Sheryl Crow says female songwriters like her owe a big debt of gratitude to artists like Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

Crow says those country artists broke ground that made it easier for her to follow in their footsteps. She notes Lynn sang about using "the pill" at a time when few people were even comfortable speaking about it. And Wynette did the same thing when she sang about divorce.

Crow says they inspired her to make music about her life. She notes that she's not a 20-something youngster, but an older working mom - and she's glad she had people who came before her that made it possible for her to tell her stories in song.