Sissy Spacek hails Loretta Lynn as a 'country music pioneer'

Sissy Spacek feels "heartbroken" over the death of Loretta Lynn.
The country music icon passed away at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, on Tuesday (04.10.22), and Sissy - who won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Lynn in the film 'Coal Miner's Daughter' - has paid a glowing tribute to the chart-topping star.
Sissy, 72, said in a statement to PEOPLE: "The world lost a magnificent human being. Loretta Lynn was a great artist, a strong and resilient country music pioneer and a precious friend.
"I am heartbroken. I send my deepest sympathies to her wonderful family, her friends, and her loyal fans."
Shania Twain has also heaped praise on the country music legend, describing her as a "trailblazer" for women in the music industry.
Shania, 57, wrote on social media: "I know that when Loretta got to Nashville in the '60s there were hardly any women in Country music… it's in the '70s, because of women like Loretta, that the marketplace changed – that's when women started to really sell records, that's when women started to be played on the radio – that's why I even stood a chance! Loretta was an honest and authentic songwriter, proud of her working class background, proud of her Native American heritage, proud to be a woman and she had a wicked sense of humour about it all! (sic)"
The 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman!' hitmaker also acknowledged that there is "no Shania Twain without Loretta Lynn".
She wrote: "Her musical legacy is more important than she will ever be credited for. There is no Shania Twain without Loretta Lynn (and those that came before her) – constantly kicking the door down and finding humour along the way! R.I.P Loretta [heart emoji] (sic)"