Country music pioneer Loretta Lynn remains as passionate about music as ever—including releasing her 2016 album, Full Circle, which charts her musical lineage from childhood to present day.

The Coal Miner’s Daughter recently spoke with Zoomer.

On “Whispering Sea,” the first song she ever wrote, is on this album…
“Me and my husband were going fishing, and I just thought to myself, I think I’ll write a song. ‘Whispering sea rolling by, why don’t you listen to me cry?’ (laughs) And I had a lot of times back in them days to cry.”

On breaking down barriers for women in music…
“I tried to write a song when I felt all the women had the same problem that I did. I’d get mail from women that’d say you went through just what I went through … And the disc jockeys, they would say, ‘You’re the only girl that’s been singing on the radio.’ And I was shocked. I said, ‘Well, good, I’ll write another song.'” (laughs)

On the song “Who’s Going to Miss Me?” strikes a personal chord…
“When that song came around, I thought this is a good song that nobody else has sang about. So I sang it. I thought, who is going to miss me? And you do wonder, don’t you?”

On her secret to staying healthy and active…
“I don’t drink or smoke, which makes it a lot better. I think it’s a bad thing to do if you’re going to be a singer.”

Lynn, who had her first child at age 16, has 21 grandkids who call her “Memaw”…
“I had my first grandkid at 31 or 32. That’s when most [people] are having a kid. (laughs) I hardly see them because I’m on the road so much. And when they think I’m going to be home, they’ll pile in here for me to cook for them.”

The passion that drives her to keep performing is …
“I’ve always worked hard. And I like it. I like … music, I like to write music. And that’s it. That’s what keeps me going.”