The article marks the 11th anniversary of the death of Lynn Anderson, the American country singer widely known as the “Great Lady of Country Music”. It highlights her role in bringing country music to a wider pop audience, particularly through her 1970 international hit “Rose Garden”, and portrays her as a trailblazer for women in the genre.

Anderson died aged 67 on 30 July 2015 after a heart attack at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, following pneumonia. Her career included five number-one hits, 18 top-ten singles, major awards from the ACM, CMA and Grammys, and milestones including becoming the first female country artist to appear on national television and headline Madison Square Garden. Born in North Dakota in 1947 and raised in California, she signed her first recording deal in 1966 before achieving early chart success and later moving to Columbia Records.