Loretta Lynn’s Eldest Granddaughter Dies at 59
Country music icon Loretta Lynn‘s family lost another member. It was confirmed that Lynn’s eldest granddaughter Lynn Massey passed away at the age of 59 after a long health battle. The official social media page for the late Lynn posted a photo of Massey and wrote, “Betty Sue’s daughter Lynn Massey, Loretta’s first grandchild, passed away this week after a long and difficult health battle. Our family is so grateful for the prayers and love continually shown to us.”
While they did not confirm the cause of her death, a statement from a family representative shared a similar message: “We can confirm that Lynn, the daughter of Loretta’s oldest daughter Betty passed away this past week. Lynn was the eldest grandchild. She was only 11 months younger than Loretta’s twin daughters.”
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Massey joins her mother, Betty Sue Lynn, brother Jack Benny and grandmother Lynn in death. Lynn had 17 grandchildren and four step-grandchildren when she died in 2022 at the age of 90. One of her granddaughters, Emmy Russell, has been in the spotlight recently as she competed on American Idol.
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Russell shared about her experience and her grandmother’s influence, “Memaw [her name for Lynn] passed down her guitar to me when I was 15 at the Ryman Auditorium. She said ‘You’re the one that can do it.’ She always thought I had this spark about me ever since I was a little kid. She felt she needed to give me the guitar as the torch in a way.”
Queens of Country
November 2019
Get your toes-tapping as we give a nod to the queens of classic country music.
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