Loretta Lynn, the Queen of country music whose career spanned six decades, died in her sleep on Tuesday at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
Loretta Lynn dead at 90
The country star was born Loretta Webb in the mining town of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Her song about growing up poor in Appalachia, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” not only became one of her biggest hits but inspired a film of the same name about her life.
Family members posted a statement to Lynn’s website on Tuesday, announcing that the country music legend had died, and asked for privacy as they grieve.
“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home in her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” the family said. They said a memorial will be announced later, CBS reported.
Country music’s queen for six decades
In the early years of Lynn’s first marriage, her husband bought her a guitar. She spent the next three years learning the instrument and writing songs. With her husband’s encouragement, she started her first band, Loretta and the Trailblazers, with her brother Jay Lee playing lead guitar.
Loretta Lynn was a pioneering female artist in country music, especially since she wrote and performed her own songs. But that alone was not what made Lynn so unique; it was her focus on issues faced by women. The themes she wrote about were groundbreaking, topics that scores of other women could relate to such as marital issues, philandering husbands, homewreckers, and childbirth. Those songs became some of her biggest hits, such as “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin‘ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” and “Fist City.”
Loretta pushed the boundaries further when she wrote about birth control and “The Pill.” She tackled double standards for men and women with “Rated X.”
Loretta Lynn truly earned the title of the Queen of country music. As of 2022, she is the most awarded female country recording artist in history. Lynn was nominated for 18 Grammy awards and won three times. She had an astounding 24 No.1 hit singles and 11 number-one albums.
Lynn retired from touring after 57 years on the road following a stroke in 2017.
