Loretta Lynn's family, music, movies and more: What to know about the country music icon
Loretta Lynn, the country music icon known for her honest storytelling and strong voice passed away Tuesday morning at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. She was 90.
Lynn’s song “Coal Miner’s Daughter” is an American classic and her influence on the country music genre continues to this day. Her name will no doubt be cemented into eternal stardom alongside other country music institutions like Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline.
As country music’s biggest names mourn the loss of one of their own and offer up condolences to Lynn’s family, we take a look at her life – the movies and songs that made her famous and the family she built.
Remembering her life and legacy: Country music icon Loretta Lynn dies at 90
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Did Loretta Lynn have children?
Yes. Lynn was the mother of six children. She had her first at the age of 16 and gave birth to three more before turning 22.
Years later, in her thirties, Lynn welcomed twin girls.
Her children, from oldest to youngest are:
Betty Sue Lynn
Jack Benny Lynn
Clara Marie Lynn
Ernest Ray Lynn
Peggy Lynn
Patsy Lynn
Was Loretta Lynn married? Who was her husband?
Yes. In 1948, at the age of 15, Lynn wed Oliver Vanetta Lynn, 21, after meeting him at a “pie social.”
The two remained married until his death in 1996. Known by the nicknames "Mooney" and "Doolittle," Lynn’s husband and their marriage became fodder for many of her famous songs, perhaps most notably “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take my Man).”
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Where is Loretta Lynn from?
In recent years Lynn has become synonymous with Hurricane Mills, Tenn., an unincorporated community about 70 miles outside of Nashville where she owns a large ranch. But her place of birth is a state over in Kentucky.
Lynn is a daughter of Kentucky coal country. She claimed her birthplace as Butcher Hollow, or ‘Butcher Holler’ as she refers to it in the 1970 hit song “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Though the name was contrived for the song’s lyrics, the area itself, near Van Lear, a coal mining town in the mountains of east Kentucky, is real.
Lynn pays tribute to the area as well in the title track to her 2004 studio album "Van Lear Rose" which was produced by Jack White, a Lynn fan and a music icon in his own right.
How did Loretta Lynn die?
No specific cause of death has been given. Lynn's family shared in a statement that she died peacefully in her sleep at her Hurricane Milles ranch on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
What movies is Loretta Lynn in?
Lynn's stardom transcended the music industry, reaching all the way to Hollywood. Though she did not star in the most famous movies to bear her name, the songs and stories she wrote and her persona as county music's leading lady became the subject of plenty of filmmaking.
In 1976 she penned “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” a memoir which went on to become a movie in 1980. Actress Sissy Spacek starred in the film and won an Oscar for her portrayal of Lynn. In 2019 Lifetime came out with another title "Patsy and Loretta" which chronicled the true story of a deep friendship between Lynn and fellow country music icon Patsy Cline.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Loretta Lynn's family and films: What to know about country music icon
