Loretta Lynn, the First Lady of Country Music, died on Tuesday in her sleep at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, her family announced. She was 90. Upon news of Lynn's death, Sissy Spacek, who played the singer in the 1980 biopic Coal Miner's Daughter and won an Oscar for her portrayal, remembered the late country star.
"Today is a sad day. The world lost a magnificent human being," Spacek said in a statement. "Loretta Lynn was a great artist, a strong and resilient country music pioneer, and a precious friend. I am heartbroken. I send my deepest sympathies to her wonderful family, her friends, and her loyal fans."
Lynn was born on April 14, 1932 into the remote Appalachian community of Butcher Hollow in Van Lear, Kentucky. She was the second of eight children born to Clary and Melvin "Ted" Webb, who worked as a coal miner and died at age 52 of black lung disease. At age 15, Lynn married Oliver Vanetta "Doolittle" Lynn, who encouraged her to pursue singing country music.
In 1976, Lynn released her autobiography, titled Coal Miner's Daughter, about her humble beginnings and rise to fame, which was later adapted into director Michael Apted's film of the same name. Lynn handpicked Spacek to play her in the movie, with Tommy Lee Jones as Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn, Beverly D'Angelo as Patsy Cline, and musician Levon Helm as Ted Webb.
Coal Miner's Daughter earned seven nominations at the 53rd Oscars, including for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won Best Actress for Spacek's performance as Lynn.
"I started to work on Coal Miner's Daughter with a bunch of strangers and I finished working on Coal Miner's Daughter with a bunch of friends," Spacek said onstage. "I want to thank Loretta Lynn, and my wonderful director Michael Apted, and Tommy Lee Jones —my Doolittle — and Beverly D'Angelo... and the lady who gave me all that hair, Lorraine Roberson. And my wonderful husband Jack [Fisk]. And all the cast and crew that worked on Coal Miner's Daughter. I share this with you and I love you."
Lynn is survived by four of her six children, as well as 17 grandchildren and four step-grandchildren.
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