Country legend, Loretta Lynn, died at 90 years old. She passed peacefully in her sleep at her home in Tennessee according to her family in a statement. Loretta was from Kentucky from a very poor family, her father was a coal miner.
“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, Oct. 4, in her sleep at home in her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” her family said in a statement.
Daughter Patsy Lynn Russell wrote, “My beautiful mother joined my father today ❤️” with a photo of her parents, while sister Crystal Gayle added, “The world lost a legend. We lost a sister. Love you Loretta❤️🌺”
Loretta was only 15 years old when she married 21-year-old Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn. Loretta had six kids, four of which she had before she was 20 years old.
In 1960, she signed her first record deal and released her first single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” A string of Top 10 hits followed: “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” “Fist City.” Many were inspired by her own marital woes.
In 1972, Lynn became the Country Music Association’s first female entertainer of the year, and in 2003, when she received the Kennedy Center Honor, President George H.W. Bush called her “a national treasure.”
Loretta published a bestselling autobiography in 1976. It eventually was made into a movie in 1980. Sissy Spacek played Loretta Lynn in the movie and won an Oscar for Best Actress.
“Today is a sad day. The world lost a magnificent human being. Loretta Lynn was a great artist, a strong and resilient country music pioneer and a precious friend,” Spacek told PEOPLE in a statement. “I am heartbroken. I send my deepest sympathies to her wonderful family, her friends, and her loyal fans.”
Loretta Lynn was a legend and will always remain a legend. She will be missed by family, friends, and fans.
Source People
