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Loretta Lynn ‘Heartbroken’ Over Loss of Longtime Friend and Ranch Foreman After Devastating Flood

Loretta Lynn and her family are reeling over the loss of their longtime friend and ranch foreman, Wayne Spears. Spears…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

August 22, 2021

Loretta Lynn, Wayne Spears

Loretta Lynn and her family are reeling over the loss of their longtime friend and ranch foreman, Wayne Spears.

Spears tragically lost his life on Saturday after being swept up in the raging flood waters at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. The Lynn family shared the dreadful news on Sunday (Aug. 22) via the following the statement:

With the heaviest of hearts we are saddened to report that our beloved foreman Wayne Spears did not survive being swept up in the flood waters. Wayne has been a family friend to the Lynns and a fixture to the Ranch for decades and we are all devastated by his passing.

The Ranch will never be the same without him but he will always be remembered for his ready smile, kind heart, and willingness to go the extra mile for everyone around him.

Eventually we’ll rebuild our community, our ranch, our lives and our homes. but only God could build a man like Wayne Spears. There’s just no replacing that.

May he rest in peace.

Lynn took to social media to ask fans to please pray for Spears’ family and friends.

“There are no words at the ranch today…only tears,” she wrote. “Our ranch family is our family. We lost my amazing ranch foreman, Wayne in this devastating flood. He took such good care of things here on the ranch for us. He’s one of us and the whole Lynn family Is heartbroken.”

Dangerous flood waters tore through Middle Tennessee on Saturday morning after a reported 16+ inches of rain fell in the area.

According to the latest report from WSMV, at least 21 people are confirmed dead while about 50 people remain missing.

Video from Tim Cobb of Loretta Lynns Ranch today. #tspotter pic.twitter.com/z5C0a3lUg9

— PerrySevereWX (@perrycoseverewx) August 21, 2021

Loretta Lynn’s Ranch is located in Hurricane Mills in Humphreys County, Tennessee, which is one of the hardest hit areas. A video shared to a weather account for Perry County Tennessee shows raging flood waters tearing through the popular tourist destination and full-service RV park.

Authorities continue to search the area around Waverly and Humphreys County missing residents. All schools in the county will be closed for the upcoming week.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has activated its Tennessee Emergency Response Fund to help those impacted by the flooding. To donate to recovery efforts, click HERE.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.