Country music legend Loretta Lynn was admitted a Nashville hospital after suffering a stroke in her home in Hurricane Mills, TN. The 85-year-old singer is responsive and expected to make a full recovery. Her doctors have advised her to stay off the road while recovering which will force her to cancel some shows that will be resceduled at a later date.
Lynn’s sister, the Grammy-winning singer Crystal Gayle, said in a statement emailed by her publicist, “Many of you have heard that my sister, Loretta Lynn, had a stroke. She’s a strong woman and I know she’ll come out of this. Our family appreciates your prayers, love and support. We pray for a speedy recovery.”
Born a Kentucky coal miner’s daughter, Lynn had a string of hits starting in the 1960s with the biographical “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” ”You Ain’t Woman Enough,” ”The Pill,” and “One’s on the Way.” Her songs reflect pride in her humble background and speak frankly of her experiences as a young wife and mother from poor Appalachia.
She continues to tour, but last year had to postpone shows after suffering injuries in a fall that required surgery. She is also set to release a new album on August 18, called Wouldn’t It Be Great, and will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum that same month.
An icon of Country music, Lynn blazed a trail as a strong-willed singer and songwriter who wrote honest songs about sex, divorce, cheating and even birth control.
She had six children with her husband of 48 years, O.V. “Moonie” Lynn, who died in 1996
