Already in the third phase of her singing career at age 32, Patty Loveless understands the importance of timing in the music business.

First a teen-age songwriting phenom, then a rock ‘n’ roll club singer, now one of the leaders among the young, traditional country singers, Loveless, who will perform at 8 p.m. July 19, at the Maine Center for the Arts, has come full circle.

“There’s been a starving for basic country music,” said Loveless in a telephone interview from Dallas. “Also the sound is so much better now with digital recording. You can hear things now that you couldn’t on the old records.”

A product of rural Kentucky, Loveless, then Patty Ramey, began singing with her brother, Roger, in local country music shows at age 12. When she was 14, Roger took her to Nashville for the first time. She had already written 30 songs, and she impressed Porter Wagoner enough that he introduced her around Music Row.

The Wilburn Brothers heard her sing on a show and recruited her to replace their departing “girl singer,” Loretta Lynn. For the next few years, she spent her winter months at home finishing high school and her summers in Nashville and on the road.

“I had a whole lot to learn,” recalled Loveless, whose last Maine appearance was in 1988. “I was very naive to the business, very starry-eyed. I saw the music only, not all the stuff that surrounded it. Since then, I’ve learned you have to work alongside other people to promote your music and make success happen.”

The Wilburns thought she was too young to record her own music, however. Also the slick pop sound then popular in Nashville didn’t appeal to her. So, after her graduation from high school, she married the Wilburns’ drummer and moved to his home state of North Carolina. For the next seven years, she sang at rock ‘n’ roll clubs, gaining what she called invaluable experience.

“When I was younger, I used to try to sing along with rock ‘n’ roll, but I was frightened to let go, to open up,” Loveless said. “When I did, it surprised me. It showed me things I could do with my vocal abilities that I didn’t know I could.”

She returned to country music in the mid-80s, then broke through with her 1989 album “Honky Tonk Angel,” which yielded five hits, including the number one hits “Timber I’m Falling in Love” and “Chains.” She was named Female Artist of the Year Award at the TNN/Music City News awards show this year.

Another thing in Loveless’ favor is that she has developed a following with wide-ranging musical tastes like her own.

“A lot of letters I’m getting are from young people, who generally don’t like country music, and who like rock ‘n’ roll,” she said. “The audience I cater to is very open to music. That’s the way I’ve always been, listening to different forms of music. It’s a healthy thing.”

With the success of “Honky Tonk Angel,” Loveless knew she had to be selective in the songs she put on her new album, “On Down the Line,” the title track of which is climbing the country charts.

“I’ve learned to go with my heart,” she said. “I try to put in at least eight good songs, to make it worthy of the $15 it’s going to cost for a CD. I know I’m disappointed when I buy an album and there’s only one or two good songs.”

Loveless hopes to be headlining her own show by next year, and wants to make that show better by adding quality people to her organization.

“I’ve got more time to keep working my way up,” she said. “I know I can’t stay on top forever, so I want to be able to take a small step down, not a big fall.”

Tickets for the Patty Loveless show are available by calling 581-1755.