Tanya Tucker Pays Tribute to Her 'Childhood Hero' Loretta Lynn: 'My World Will Never Be the Same'
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Derrek Kupish Loretta Lynn and Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker is mourning the loss of her hero Loretta Lynn.
Following the news of Lynn's death on Tuesday morning, the "Strong Enough to Bend" singer shared an emotional tribute on social media and detailed her appreciation for the country music icon.
"Today, my world changed and it will never be the same again. My hero @lorettalynnofficial got her wings and it's been a day filled with tears. Many memories, so much gratitude and thanking my God above for blessing me first with her music and her guidance through the perils of the music world, way before we ever met," Tucker, 63, wrote on Instagram.
The "Delta Dawn" singer then reflected on the progression of their friendship.
"I looked up to Loretta always. Then we became best friends, she brought me flowers always and I brought flowers to her. Time has let me share many special moments with her, I even named my horse after her, but now time has taken her from me forever," she wrote. "But she's left me with so much to remember and cling on to. I thank God above that I got to sing with her on her latest record. I've been waiting a long time for that to come to pass."
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She concluded, "I was busy planning a much-needed trip to Mexico when I got the news, but for now Mexico will have to wait because my childhood hero Loretta Lynn has caught the train and she's 'On Her Way to Heaven.' Mexico will always be there, but my friend has gone on to glory. I will see her there someday! I miss you so Retti! I think you know how I feel! Your girl always. -Tanya❤️"
In March 2021, Lynn released her 50th studio album Still Woman Enough — and Tucker was featured on the track "You Ain't Woman Enough," a re-recording of Lynn's 1966 original.
In April, Lynn celebrated her 90th birthday and several country musicians — including Tucker — marked the occasion with a video filled with well-wishes.
"To us, you're always timeless and ageless and always will be," Tim McGraw said in the clip.
Lynn — a coal miner's daughter who rose to international stardom — died Tuesday morning at her home in Tennessee.
"Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, Oct. 4, in her sleep at home in her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills," her family said in a statement.
Derrek Kupish Tanya Tucker and Loretta Lynn
In 1972, Lynn became the Country Music Association's first female entertainer of the year, and in 2003, when she received the Kennedy Center Honor, President George H.W. Bush called her "a national treasure."
She experienced a series of health issues including a stroke in 2017 and a fall that caused her to break her hip in 2018.
Her death sparked a flood of tributes from stars both in the country sphere and out, including McEntire, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, LeAnn Rimes, Carly Pearce, McGraw and more.
