Loretta Lynn forced to cancel dates due to knee surgery

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Loretta Lynn has been sidelined by knee surgery.

A statement said the country music icon will cancel dates through a Sept. 3 show at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

She is scheduled to undergo reconstructive knee surgery and needs time to recover. Lynn said in the statement she's "sad" to cancel the shows, "but they tell me I've just got to stay off this knee for a while."

Lynn recently returned to live performances with a show at the Grand Ole Opry after being forced to cancel shows in Ohio and Connecticut because she was hospitalized for heat exhaustion. The 76-year-old Country Music Hall of Fame member said she had spent too much time in her garden in extreme heat.

Lynn will try to reschedule her missed dates.