The Tragic Death Of Loretta Lynn
American singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn has died at 90 on October 4. Lynn's family confirmed the news that the singer died in her Tennessee home in a statement to the Associated Press, per the Washington Post. While she had a spot solidified in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Lynn had a tragic childhood, where she grew up in abject poverty and almost died. Born in 1935, she hailed from the coal-mining region of Kentucky and had seven siblings. Perhaps most surprising about her early story was the fact that Lynn married at 13 and became a mom at 14. By the time she turned 18, Lynn was a mother to four children.
It was actually Lynn's husband, Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn, who bought her a guitar and urged her to pursue her talent for music and singing. In 1960, Lynn was signed by a label in Vancouver, Canada called Zero Records. She and her husband wound up mailing out her records to radio stations around the country and this plan worked. By the end of that same year, Lynn played on the Grand Ole Opry. While this was amazing, this was only the beginning of her incredible career.
Loretta Lynn was an author as well as a songwriter
Perhaps the best part about country music is the female icons. So you'll be happy to know that Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton were pals. In fact, they were friends for decades.
Lynn was a staple of country music and was well recognized in the community. In June 2021, Lynn was listed among the honors recipients at the Academy of Country Music Awards, according to Variety. The recognition is well deserved; not only did she have albums galore, but Lynn was also an author. She published her autobiography, "Coal Miner's Daughter," according to USA Today, and followed it up with "Me and Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship With Patsy Cline." The book was, as the title suggests, all about her years with Cline, who was something of a mentor to Lynn.
According to her official biography, Lynn said: "I ain't a star – a star is something up in the night sky. People say to me, 'You're a legend.' I'm not a legend. I'm just a woman." Well, 'just a woman' is quite the understatement. The world has lost an icon. Our condolences go out to Lynn's loved ones.