Loretta Lynn, one of the pioneering women in country music known for songs of working-class female resilience, has suffered a stroke, her representatives said Friday.
Lynn, who turned 85 last month and remains professionally active, suffered a stroke Thursday night at her ranch in Tennessee, said a statement on her website.
“She is currently under medical care and is responsive and expected to make a full recovery,” it said, while adding that she had canceled upcoming shows.
Identifiable for her floor-length gowns, Lynn was one of the original women in country music and a protegee of Patsy Cline, who defined the female role in the genre.
Her songs took up the struggles of the white Southern women who listened to country music, recounting husbands who cheated on them, mistresses who competed with them, and the loneliness as the men went off to war.
Her signature songs include “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Rated ‘X'” and, in a daring early look at the society-changing effects of birth control, “The Pill.”
Despite her themes, she distanced herself from modern American feminism and generally supported conservative politicians including President Donald Trump, although she was close to former president Jimmy Carter.
Lynn has kept up an active schedule despite her age, with a new studio album, “Wouldn’t It Be Great,” due out in August.
Her ranch has also become a tourist attraction, with fans coming to tour her sprawling home in Tennessee, the southern state where the estates of Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton are also located.
