Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Lifestyle
Stephanie Vander Wel, Associate Professor of Music, University at Buffalo

Loretta Lynn was more than a great songwriter – she was a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women

Loretta Lynn's music articulated the fears, dreams and anger of women living in a patriarchal society. David Redfern/Redferns via Getty Images

Loretta Lynn’s death at the age of 90 marks the end of a remarkable life of achievement in country music.

Her dramatic life story – retold in the 1980 award-winning film “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” based on Lynn’s 1976 biography – made Lynn a household name. She grew up in poverty in a small Kentucky mining town, marrying and starting a family as a teenager before reaching unprecedented heights of commercial success as a recording artist of modern country music.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.