Country music fans are mourning the death of Loretta Lynn. The Coal Miner’s daughter passed away Tuesday morning (October 4) at the age of 90.
Loretta Lynn’s younger sister and fellow country artist, Crystal Gayle, reacted to the news of her sister’s passing in a brief note posted to social media.
“The world lost a legend. We lost a sister. Love you Loretta,” Gayle captioned a photo of Loretta.
Loretta Lynn’s family announced her death with a statement Tuesday morning.
“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills.”
The family asked for privacy as they grieve, and promised that information regarding a memorial would be forthcoming.
Lynn, who celebrated her 90th birthday in April, dealt with a number of health issues in recent years. In 2017, the singer suffered a stroke and wondered how it might affect her voice. But, her voice remained pure and perfect like it had been over the course of her six-decade career. However, her left side was seriously affected, taking away her ability to use her arm and hand.
“It’s a very scary thing when you find out you’re havin’ a stroke,” Lynn said. “I wondered if I could sing. Mommy said I was born singin’. That’s all I’ve ever done. I couldn’t believe that that could be taken away.”
On New Year’s Day in 2018, Lynn fell and broke her hip. But, the singer didn’t let the injury keep her down. With the help of her family, Lynn recovered and moved back to her beloved home in Hurricane Mill, Tennessee.
Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle are two of eight children born to Clara and Ted Webb.
Though the sisters weren’t close in age, they were close in heart. With nearly two decades between them in age, Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle loved and respected each other, a sentiment Gayle opened up to Dan Rather about in a 2017 interview.
“We’re sisters. We can bicker; in the studio, you should hear us…”Gayle said, adding that rumors of drama between the two were “just gossip.
“We were so busy, both of us, in our careers…We really didn’t have time to bicker,” Gayle recalled. “We really didn’t have problems.”
Gayle adds, “You know, I look up to my sister. We both have flaws in different ways, but we’re not gonna tell what they are, you know? But, I mean, we love each other … We overlook [the differences].”
Loretta Lynn was on-hand in early 2017 to welcome her sister as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. The two reminisced about their relationship, with Lynn confirming Gayle’s previous statements saying they had never fought.
Watch the touching moment Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle shared the Opry stage below.