NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Coal Miner’s Daughter and country music icon, Loretta Lynn, has passed away.
Lynn’s family said in a statement to the Associated Press that she died Tuesday at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
“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 in a statement. They asked for privacy.
Loretta Lynn was a pioneer for female country artists. While most female singers were depicted as soft, feminine types, Loretta’s persona was that of a tough woman. She sang songs on taboo topics for females at the time and did so unapologetically.
She was also the first woman ever named “Entertainer of the Year” in country music’s two major awards shows, first by the Country Music Association in 1972 and then by the Academy of Country Music in 1975.
