Loretta Lynn dies aged 90: Dolly Parton leads heartfelt tributes to country singer

Dolly Parton has led tributes to the "wonderful talent" Loretta Lynn following the country music star’s death at the age of 90.

The country star died on Tuesday (4 October) at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, her family said in a statement.

Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn have been friends for decades, and Parton said she considered Lynn her sister.

In a heartfelt tribute posted to Instagram, she said: “So sorry to hear about my sister, friend Loretta.

“We’ve been like sisters all the years we’ve been in Nashville, and she was a wonderful human being, wonderful talent, had millions of fans, and I’m one of them. I miss her dearly, as we all will. May she rest in peace”.

Lynn released a string of hits during her career, which spanned six decades, and became known for her songs about divorce, cheating husbands, sex and birth control, among many other topics.

She was the first woman in country music to receive a certified gold album for 1967’s "Don’t Come Home a’ Drinkin’".

One of her biggest hits came with the release of "Coal Miner’s Daughter," an autobiographical song that tells the story of her coal-mining father and her upbringing in rural Kentucky during the Great Depression.

In 1980 she gained wider fame upon the release of the musical film Coal Miner’s Daughter, based on her 1976 biography of the same name.

Carole King, Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus and Parton’s sister and fellow singer Stella Parton have also paid tribute to Lynn.

Stella Parton shared a tribute, writing from her Twitter account: “My heart is broken with the news of my sweet friend Loretta Lynn passing.

“I will remember all the sweet visits and laughs we shared. RIP sweet Angel.”

Carrie Underwood said: “She is irreplaceable. She will be incredibly missed, but her legacy lives on in those of us whom she has influenced."

Billy Ray Cyrus recalled when Lynn agreed to duet with him and George Jones on the song Country Music Has The Blues, saying it was "one of my highest honours".

"She handed me this wonderful gift on that day," he added, alongside a photo of a signed copy of Lynn’s album Van Lear Rose.

American singer and songwriter Carole King called Lynn an "inspiration".