Country Music's Final Songs of 2020

Category: Tribute 

Here are the people from the world of country music for whom the final curtain fell in 2020. 

Biff Adam (March 7, congestive heart failure, age 83): longtime drummer for Merle Haggard.

Tom Annastas (August 12, heart attack, age 67): longtime vice president of general licensing at BMI Nashville.

William "Bucky" Baxter (May 25, unknown cause, age 65): pedal steel guitarist who co-founded Steve Earle's backing band, the Dukes, and also played steel with Bob Dylan on the "Never-Ending Tour."

Mac Benford (February 15, cancer, age 79): traditional clawhammer-style banjo player and teacher and member of the Highwoods String Band.

Margie Bowes (October 22, illness, age 79): country singer best remembered for “Poor Old Heartsick Me” in 1959.  She was also the ex-wife of Doyle Wilburn.

Jim Brewer (September 12, leukemia, age 82): father of bluegrass singer Gary Brewer, and a frequent member in Brewer's band, the Kentucky Ramblers.

Johnny Bush (October 16, pneumonia, age 85): Texas-born and bred hard country singer with a great voice and a great songwriting pen.  Among his compositions was Willie Nelson's signature tune, "Whiskey River."

Stan Byrd (May 23, unknown cause, age 77): longtime music executive in Nashville who worked for CBS, Asylum, and Warner Brothers' country divisions.

Buddy Cage (February 4, multiple myeloma, age 73): pedal steel guitarist for the country-rock band New Riders of the Purple Sage.

Jimmy Capps (June 2, unknown cause, age 81): Musicians Hall of Fame guitar player who was a member of the Opry Staff Band and backed some of the biggest names in country music for over 60 years.

Pete Carr (June 27, unknown cause, age 70): Muscle Shoals guitarist who backed countless performers in the studio from country to pop to rock in a Musicians Hall of Fame career.

Wayne Chandler (August 7, renal cancer, age 54): Nashville tourism/hospitality executive who had worked with Kitty Wells and was also the onetime owner of the Nashville Nightlife Theater.

Arthur Connor (April 13, natural causes, age 95): legendary fiddle maker whose instruments were preferred by the likes of Ricky Skaggs.  He also had his own bluegrass band, the Connor Brothers.

J.T. Corenflos (October 24, pneumonia, age 56): widely-used guitarist who began as a member of Jean Shepard's backing band and went on to award-winning work as a session man.

*Charlie Daniels (July 6, stroke, age 83): Country Music Hall of Fame member who was active for seven decades as a producer, session man, and chart-topping performer in country and southern rock.

Chris Darrow (January 15, stroke, age 75): pioneering country-rock  multi-instrumentalist who worked with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and in Linda Ronstadt's early pre-Eagles backing band.

Mac Davis (September 29, complications of heart surgery, age 78): gifted Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member who served as songwriter (Elvis' "In the Ghetto"), actor (North Dallas Forty), and singer who entertained country and pop audiences in the 70s and 80s.

Tony DeBoer (May 20, brain aneurysm, age 81): the "grandfather of Canadian bluegrass" who founded the River Valley Music Park for bluegrass festivals in Ontario.

John Denny (July 21, Alzheimer's disease, age 79): the son of Hall of Fame member Jim Denny was in charge of Cedarwood Publishing for years.  He also owned Denny's Den studio and was a founding member of R.O.P.E. (Reunion Of Professional Entertainers).  His widow, Pandora, died a month later.

Joe Diffie (March 29, COVID-19, age 61): one of the “no hat” country stars of the 90s whose hits included “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)” and “New Way (To Light Up an Old Flame).”

Carl Dobkins Jr. (April 8, unknown cause, age 79): Rockabilly Hall of Fame singer whose biggest hit was 1959's "My Heart Is an Open Book."

Rick Durrett (October 6, unknown cause, age 75): a member of the rock band Coven (of "One Tin Soldier" fame) who later became the keyboard player for Crystal Gaylle's band.

Justin Townes Earle (August 20, accidental drug overdose, age 38): the award-winning, critically-acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter was also the son of Steve Earle.

Paul English (February 12, pneumonia, age 87): Willie Nelson’s longtime drummer and the “Paul” in Willie’s song “Me and Paul.”

Randy Frazier (June 19, long illness, age 60): musician who played with McBride and the Ride and Sammy Kershaw. 

Bryan Wayne Galentine (October 22, ALS, age 53): songwriter who composed modern hits such as Chris Cagle's "Country By the Grace of God" and Tommy Shane Steiner's "What If She's an Angel."

Benny Garcia (May 7, pancreatic cancer, age 64): longtime guitar technician for Vince Gill.

Steve Gulley (August 18, pancreatic cancer, age 57): well-loved bluegrass musician who co-founded the band Mountain Heart after a stint with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

Joe Halterman (February 11, unknown cause, age 69): drummer for a number of stars, including Bob Luman, and co-writer of the 1983 Whites hit "I Wonder Who's Holding My Baby Tonight."

James Hand (June 8, heart failure, age 67): traditional country and Ameripolitan star, Ameripolitan "male vocalist" award winner, and the man who traditionally opened the Ameripolitan Awards program with his pure honky tonk music.

Alex Harvey (April 4, unknown cause, age 73): songwriter who gave us such massive hits as "Delta Dawn" (Tayna Tucker), "Reuben James" (Kenny Rogers & the First Edition), and "Rings" (Tompall & the Glaser Brothers).

Roy Head (September 21, heart attack, age 79): Rockabilly Hall of Fame member who wrote and originally recorded "Treat Her Right," a song that was later covered by the likes of Billy "Crash" Craddock and Barbara Mandrell.

Jimmy Henley (March 22, throat cancer, age 56): Tulsa-based bluegrass banjo player who got his start playing with Roy Clark on Hee Haw.

W.S. "Fluke" Holland (September 23, short illness, age 85): original drummer in Johnny Cash's Tennessee Three who also worked with a wide variety of acts from Johnny Horton to Dale Watson.

Robb Houston (March 16, ALS, age 57): guitarist who worked for Randy Travis, Brothers Phelps, and on the TV series Nashville Star.

Jan Howard (March 28, natural causes, age 91): "Grand Lady of the Grand Ole Opry" country singer with a career that began with her singing then-husband Harlan Howard's songs for demos and blossomed into a career that included hits with Wynn Stewart, Bill Anderson, and solo success.

Kenny Ingram (July 26, stroke, age 67): much-loved banjo player who began as a member of Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass and went on to perform with Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Larry Stephenson, and over 200 different recordings.

Teddy Irwin (November 5, unknown cause, age 77): multifaceted session guitarist whose list of credits run from John Lennon to Randy Travis.

Wade Jackson (January 14, complications of a stroke, age 90): singer and songwriter whose lasting legacy is the Stonewall Jackson hit "Don't Be Angry."

Joe Johnson (December 22, natural causes, age 93): co-founder of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and longtime figure in country music at labels such as Four Star, Challenge, and Columbia.

Larry W. Johnson (June 12, cancer, age 69): co-writer of Tim McGraw's first hit, "Don't Take the Girl."  The song's other writer, Craig Martin, also died this year.

Troy Jones (September 11, electrocuted, age 64): songwriter best-known for Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy."

John B. Kaparakis (April 12, unknown cause, age 82): bluegrass guitarist who worked with the Lonesome River Boys, Hazel Dickens, and Kenny Baker.  He was also a journalist at Bluegrass Unlimited. 

Ramsey Kearney (March 14, unknown cause, age 86): songwriter whose best-known work was "Emotions," which he co-wrote with Mel Tillis. 

Susan Keel (November 20, unknown cause, age 58): Nashville PR agent whose clients ranged from the Tennessee Titans to Ray Stevens.

Dan Kelly (July 22, heart attack, age 54): fiddler in the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band.

Benjamin Keough (July 12, suicide [gunshot], age 27): the grandson of Elvis Presley.

Stan Kesler (October 26, unknown cause, age 92): Sun Records studio musician and songwriter whose credits include "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" and "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone."

Hal Ketchum (November 23, dementia, age 67): country singer with a string of hit singles in the 80s and 90s, including "Small Town Saturday Night," "Mama Knows the Highway," and "Past the Point of Rescue."

Thom King (April 24, heart attack, age 65): Nashville-based photographer and journalist whose works included co-writing Danny Davis' memoir Guess Who I Met Today! 

Bob Loflin (November 16, unknown cause, age 91): former DJ at WSM and announcer on the Grand Ole Opry who also did interviews for the syndicated radio program Country Crossroads. 

Sonny Lonas (June 30, unknown cause, age 81): Virginia-based drummer who followed Patsy Cline to Nashville and later drummed for Ernest Tubb.

Jim Lusk (April 25, unknown cause, age 80): front man of Jim Lusk and the Counterfeit Cowboys and songwriter of "It Started All Over Again" by Vern Gosdin.

Bill Mack (July 31, COVID-19, age 91): Country Music DJ Hall of Fame member whose "Midnight Cowboy" radio show kept long-haul truck drivers company on overnight runs for decades.  He also wrote the hits "Drinking Champagne" and "Blue."

Carl Mann (December 15, unknown cause, age 78): rockabilly member of the Sun Records roster in the late 50s, best-known for his rockabilly rendition of "Mona Lisa."

Marty Martel (March 29, unknown cause, age 81): former manager for Johnny Paycheck and the booking agent for the "Legends Fest" concerts for country greats.

Craig Martin (July 3, unknown cause, age 52): co-writer of Tim McGraw's breakthrough hit "Don't Take the Girl."  The song's other writer, Larry W. Johnson, also passed away this year.

Kirke Martin (December 16, cancer, age 70): manager for music acts ranging from the Dirt Band and T. Graham Brown to numerous contemporary Christian bands.

Lynsey McDonald (November 23, multiple myeloma, age 58): co-founder of the "Music City Roots" program and Americana/alt-country executive working in the careers of Jason & the Scorchers, Robbie Fulks, Deanna Carter, and Todd Snider.

Bill McEuen (September 24, unknown cause, age 79): the brother of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen, he served as the producer for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, including the legendary album Will the Circle Be Unbroken.  He was also Steve Martin's manager in Martin's stand-up comedy days.

Gary McSpadden (April 15, pancreatic cancer, age 77): gospel singer and songwriter who was a member of the gospel-era Oak Ridge Quartet.

Edward "Felix" McTeigue (July 24, post-surgery complications, age 48): producer and songwriter whose credits included the #1 Florida-Georgia Line song "Anything Goes."

Joe Meador (October 21, Lewy body dementia, age 73): manager for Ronnie McDowell and co-writer of McDowell's hits "All Tied Up," "Never Too Old to Rock and Roll," and "Lovin' That Crazy Feeling."

Walter C. Miller (November 13, pneumonia, age 94): producer of numerous television music specials, including a 35-year stint as producer of the CMA Awards program.

Bonnie Lou Moore (September 21, natural causes, age 91): half of the Knoxville-based radio, recording, and TV country and gospel duet "Bonnie Lou and Buster."

Jamie Oldaker (July 16, cancer, age 68): multi-genre drummer who played in the Tractors and worked with other acts as diverse as Eric Clapton, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, and Asleep At the Wheel.

David Olney (January 18, heart attack, age 71): much-loved Americana singer/songwriter whose songs were covered by acts such as Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.  Olney suffered a fatal heart attack onstage during a performance at the 30A Festival in Florida.

K.T. Oslin (December 21, COVID-19/Parkinson's disease, age 78): Grammy-winning "late-blooming" singer/songwriter whose first major hit "80s Ladies" came when she was 46 years old.

Charles "Fuzzy" Owen (May 11, kidney failure, age 91): one of the mainstays of the Bakersfield Sound, working with many of the then-unknown performers such as Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.  He was also a songwriter, having penned Ray Price's "The Same Old Me" and the classic "A Dear John Letter" by Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard.

Jim Owen (March 7, unknown cause, age 78): songwriter whose best-known compositions include "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" and Jim Ed Brown's hit "Southern Loving."

Ira Parker (January 24, unknown cause, age 63): hairstylist and personal assistant for Dolly Parton.

Little Richard Penniman (May 9, bone cancer, age 87): the "architect of rock and roll" touched all genres of music, including country thanks to Waylon Jennings' hit cover of "Lucille."

Ray Pennington (October 7, house fire, age 86): country songwriter whose list of credits include the Waylon Jennings classic "I'm a Ramblin' Man."

Knox Phillips (April 15, cancer, age 74): the son of the legendary Sam Phillips was also a well-respected producer who worked with the likes of John Prine, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Amazing Rhythm Aces, and Willie Nelson.

Bonnie Pointer (June 8, cardiac arrest, age 69): a member of the legendary R&B group the Pointer Sisters, she wrote the 1974 country crossover and Grammy-winning hit "Fairytale" in tribute to her love for country music.

*Charley Pride (December 12, COVID-19, age 86): Country Music Hall of Fame country singer who had an impressive string of top ten hits from 1967 to 1984, including the crossover hit "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'." 

John Prine (April 7, COVID-19, age 73): Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member who knew his way around three chords and phrases better than just about anyone in his generation.

Bill Pursell (September 3, COVID-related pneumonia, age 94): songwriter ("Our Winter Love") and much in-demand session piano player for most of the country acts in the 60s through 80s.

John Ragsdale (March 25, fall, age 75): brother of Hall of Fame member Ray Stevens who worked as song co-writer, emcee, and business manager.

Glenn Ray (June 11, unknown cause, age 82): songwriter whose biggest success was "I Just Came Home to Count the Memories," a hit for Bobby Wright, Cal Smith, and John Anderson over the years.

Ellen Reeves (September 15, unknown cause, age 87): the widow of country star Del Reeves and songwriter behind Rose Maddox's hit "Sing a Little Song of Heartache." 

*Harold Reid (April 24, kidney failure, age 80): the bass singer and main comedian for the Statler Brothers.  He also was Lester “Roadhog” Moran in that classic spoof of small-town radio shows.

Tony Rice (December 25, unknown cause, age 69): Bluegrass Hall of Fame guitarist and singer who influenced generations of bluegrass guitarists who came after him.

Dave Rich (March 18, unknown cause, age 84): Rockabilly Hall of Fame singer whose career in country music was minimal but very significant, thanks to his recording of Bill Anderson's song "City Lights."

*Kenny Rogers (March 20, cancer, age 81): Country Music Hall of Fame singer whose career spanned seven decades and covered the genres of country, pop, and rock.

Alan Schulman (June 24, unknown cause, age 66): Muscle Shoals-based Grammy-winning recording engineer who worked with the likes of Ricky Skaggs, Alabama, and Ronnie Milsap.

Eddie Setser (January 17, unknown cause, age 77): songwriter whose greatest claim to fame was co-writing the Willie Nelson/Ray Charles duet "Seven Spanish Angels."

Bob Shane (January 26, pneumonia, age 85): the last original member of the folk group the Kingston Trio, whose "Tom Dooley" won the first country music Grammy award in 1958.

Billy Joe Shaver (October 28, stroke, age 81): legendary Texas “outlaw” country singer and songwriter whose contributions to the country songbook included “Ride Me Down Easy,” “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal,” and “Honky Tonk Heroes.”

Lucille Starr (September 4, unknown cause, age 82): Canadian country music singer whose "The French Song" was a hit in both Canada and the US. 

Doug Supernaw (November 13, bladder and lung cancer, age 60): 90s country singer with a string of hits including “I Don’t Call Him Daddy” and “Reno.”

Gary Walker (July 8, unknown cause, age 87): songwriter behind hits such as Carl Smith's "Trademark" and Jim Reeves' "According to My Heart."  Later operated Nashville's legendary used record store the Great Escape.

Jerry Jeff Walker (October 23, throat cancer, age 78): “gonzo” country great who wrote the classic “Mr. Bojangles” and was an “outlaw” in country before it was cool.

Eric Weissberg (March 22, Alzheimer's disease, age 80): musician whose recording of "Deuling Banjoes" was featured in the movie Deliverance and became an international hit.

Wanda White (December 15, natural causes, age 87): WNOX Midday Merry-Go-Round performer who also performed on the Opry as a member of Carlton Scruggs and the Down Home Folks.

Dick Whitehouse (January 14, cause and age unknown): longtime Curb Records executive who helped get acts such as Lyle Lovett, Junior Brown, and Sawyer Brown on the label.

Katherine Williams-Dunning (June 13, car wreck, age 27): daughter of Hank Williams Jr., and sister to singers Hank III and Holly Williams.


Farewell, and thank you for the music.

Every Note He Ever Played Or Sang Was the One We Wanted to Hear

 Category: News/Obituary 

Mandolin great Don Stiernberg put it perfectly:  "Every note he ever played or sang was the one we wanted to hear."

"He" was Tony Rice. 

The Bluegrass Hall of Famer died Christmas Day.  Ricky Skaggs' post announcing Rice's death stated, "Sometime Christmas morning while making his coffee, our dear friend and guitar hero Tony Rice passed from this life and made his swift journey to his Heavenly home."

David Anthony Rice was born in 1951 in Virginia.  He grew up in Los Angeles, where -- in one of the great understatements in music history -- learned to play guitar. By 1970 he was in Louisville as a member of the Bluegrass Alliance, then barely known but now regarded as one of the most influential acts in bluegrass music. 

From there, Rice was everywhere in bluegrass, both progressive and traditional: with J.D. Crowe and New South (getting a Grammy in 1983), the Bluegrass Album Band, the collaborative effort Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen, recordings with Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, and David Grisman; and, of course, the Tony Rice Unit.

While the words "great musician" are thrown around to anyone who can make three chords, Rice's influence simply cannot be understated.  In his statement today (12/26) Skaggs emphasized, "Tony Rice was the single most influential acoustic guitar player of the past 50 years.  Many, if not all, of the bluegrass guitar players of today would say that they cut their teeth on Tony Rice's music." 

Dysphonia, a vocal cord disorder, cut Rice's career short.  Later he also developed tennis elbow, affecting his guitar playing.  

Farewell to the legendary Tony Rice, who was but 69 years old.

Explosion in Nashville

Category: Breaking News

Second Avenue in Nashville was rocked by what News Channel 5 in Nashville is currently reporting as a "deliberate explosion" this morning (12/25).  

The explosion, according to early reports, was at 6:30 AM (central time).  Early reports indicate a recreational vehicle exploded after a number of recorded warnings, stating, "If you can hear this message, evacuate now," played.

As of this early writing (just after noon my time, 11 AM Nashville time), there are thankfully no reports of deaths, and only three injuries reported. The area hit was the downtown region where a number of tourist restaurants and nightclubs are located, between Commerce and Church. 

Damage is extensive, and the FBI is investigating this as terrorism. 

Dates of Note in Country Music, December 16-31

 Category: News

(Hall of Fame members in bold on birth/death date, followed by hall[s] of fame in which they are enshrined and the year enshrined.  CM=Country Music; BG=Bluegrass; DJ=Country Disc Jockey; NS=Nashville Songwriter; SG=Southern Gospel; StG=Steel Guitar WS=Western Swing; GLA=Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient; RR=also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

December 16:

Jeff Carson born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1964 (now 57)
Shelby Singleton born in Waskom, Texas, 1931 (died 2009)
Jim Glaser of the Glaser Brothers born in Spalding, Nebraska, 1937 (died 2019)
Jenny Lou Carson (NS 71) died in Torrance, California (unknown causes), 1978 (was 63)
Martha Carson died in Nashville, Tennessee (natural causes), 2004 (was 83)
Gary Stewart died in Fort Pierce, Florida (suicide [gunshot]), 2003 (was 58)
Dan Fogelberg died in Deer Island, Maine (cancer), 2007 (was 56)
Ray Price (CM 96) died in Mount Pleasant, Texas (pancreatic cancer), 2013 (was 87)

December 17:

Frankie Miller born in Victoria, Texas, 1931 (now 89)
Sharon White Skaggs born in Wichita Falls, Texas, 1953 (now 67) 
Tracy Byrd born in Vidor, Texas, 1966 (now 54)
Karl Davis born in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, 1905 (died 1979)
Spade Cooley born in Grand, Oklahoma, 1910 (died 1969)
Nat Stuckey born in Cass County, Texas, 1933 (died 1988)
Roy Huskey Jr. born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1956 (died 1997)
Rex Allen Sr. died in Tuscon, Arizona (accidentally run over by car), 1999 (was 77)
Lance LeRoy (BG 00) died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 2015 (was 84)
Commercial plane carrying Doug Stone crash-lands in Chicago, 1999. Stone was uninjured.

December 18:

Cledus T. Judd (ne James Poole) born in Crowe Springs, Georgia, 1964 (now 56)
Wilf Carter (Montana Slim) (NS 71) born in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, 1904 (died 1996)
Gordie Tapp died in Burlington, Ontario (pneumonia), 2016 (was 94)
The Louvin Brothers' first recording session (they recorded "Alabama") at Castle Studios, Nashville, 1947

December 19:

John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Bang born in Long Beach, California, 1945 (now 75)
Janie Fricke born in South Whitney, Indiana, 1947 (now 73)
Jumpin' Bill Carlisle (CM 02) born in Wakefield, Kentucky, 1908 (died 2003)
Little Jimmy Dickens (CM 83) born in Bolt, West Virginia, 1920 (died 2015)
Marion Worth died in Madison, Tennessee (emphysema), 1999 (was 69)
Hank Williams' last show, given at the Skyline Club, Austin, Texas, 1952
Johnny Paycheck shot a man outside a bar in Greenfield, Ohio, 1985

December 20:

Skeeter Willis of the Willis Brothers born in Colton, Oklahoma, 1917 (died 1976)
Jack Stapp (CM 89) died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1980 (was 68)
Don Law (CM 01) died in LaMarque, Texas (unknown cause), 1982 (was 80)
Hank Snow (CM 79, NS 78) died in Nashville, Tennessee (various illnesses), 1999 (was 85)
Chip Young died in Nashville, Tennessee (complications from heart surgery), 2014 (was 76)

December 21:

Lee Roy Parnell born in Abilene, Texas, 1956 (now 64)
Christy Forrester of the Forester Sisters born in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, 1962 (now 58)
Vito Pellettieri born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1889 (died 1977)
Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance born in Como, Mississippi, 1925 (died 2005)
Freddie Hart (NS 04) born in Lockapoke, Alabama, 1926 (died 2018)
Natchee the Indian (ne Lester Vernon Storer) died in Santa Clara, California (unknown cause), 1970 (was 54)
John Bailes of the Bailes brothers died (unknown cause), 1989 (was 71)
Harold Morrison died in Springfield, Missouri (illness), 1993 (was 62)

December 22:

Red Stegall born in Gainesville, Texas, 1938 (now 82)
Chuck Mead of BR5-49 born in Nevada, Missouri, 1960 (now 59)
Paul Martin of Exile born in Winchester, Kentucky, 1962 (now 57)
Harold "Hawkshaw" Hawkins born in Huntington, West Virginia, 1921 (died 1963)
Dave Dudley died in Danbury, Wisconsin (heart attack), 2003 (was 75)
Dennis Linde (NS 01) died in Nashville, Tennessee (lung disease), 2006 (was 63)
Jimmy Work died in Dukedom, Tennessee (natural causes), 2018 (was 94)

December 23:

Murray "Buddy" Harman born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1928 (died 2008)

December 24:

Lulu Belle Wiseman born in Boone, North Carolina, 1913 (died 1999)
Zane Beck (StG 91) born in Clarksville, Arkansas, 1927 (died 1985)
Jake Hess (SG 97) born in Limestone County, Alabama, 1927 (died 2004)
Stoney Edwards born in Seminole, Oklahoma, 1929 (died 1997)
William J. "Billy" Hill (NS 82) died in Boston, Massachusetts (heart attack), 1940 (was 41)
Charlie Moore died in Maryland (illness), 1979 (was 44)

December 25:

Jimmy Buffett (NS 06) born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, 1946 (now 74)
Barbara Mandrell (CM 09, StG 09) born in Houston, Texas, 1948 (now 72)
Steve Wariner born in Noblesville, Indiana, 1954 (now 66)
Alton Delmore (CM 01, NS 71) born in Elkmont, Alabama, 1908 (died 1964)
J.R. "Curly" Seckler (BG 04) born in China Grove, North Carolina, 1919 (died 2017)

Tony Rice (BG 13) died in Reidsville, North Carolina (unknown cause), 2020 (was 69)
Billy Nelson, Willie Nelson's son, died in Nashville, Tennessee (suicide [hanged self]), 1991 (was 33)
Johnny Cash and family robbed and held at gunpoint in their Jamaica home, 1982

December 26:

Bob Carpenter of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1946 (now 74)
Travis Lewis of the Lewis Family (BG 06) born in Greenwood, South Carolina, 1958 (now 62)
Audrey Wiggins born in Asheville, North Carolina, 1967 (now 53)
Beecher Ray "Pete" "Bashful Brother Oswald" Kirby born in Sevier County, Tennessee, 1911 (died 2002)
Harry Choates born in Rayne, Louisiana, 1911 (died 1951)
Ronnie Prophet born in Calument, Quebec, 1938 (died 2018)
Jimmie Osborne died in Louisville, Kentucky (suicide [gunshot]), 1957 (was 34)
Miggie Lewis of the Lewis Family (BG 06) died in Augusta, Georgia (natural causes), 2017 (was 91)

Sleepy LaBeef died in Siolam Springs, Arkansas (natural causes), 2019 (was 84)
Red Foley and wife Sally injured in a fire in their apartment in Nashhville, 1964

December 27:

Leonard T. "LT" Zinn (StG 05) born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, 1924 (now 96)
Les Taylor of Exile born in Oneida, Kentucky, 1948 (now 72)
Darrin Vincent of Dailey & Vincent born in Kirkville, Missouri, 1969 (now 51)
Scotty Moore (RR 00) born in Gadsden, Tennessee, 1931 (died 2016)
John Hughey (StG 96) born in Elaine, Arkansas, 1933 (died 2007)
Bob Luman died in Nashville, Tennessee (pneumonia), 1978 (was 41)
Hoagy Carmichael (NS 88) died in Rancho Mirage, California (heart ailment), 1981 (was 82)
Kent Robbins (NS 98) died in Clanton, Alabama (car wreck), 1997 (was 50)
Vestal Goodman (SG 02) died in Celebration, Florida (complications from the flu), 2003 (was 74)
Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland died in Orange Park, Florida (staph infection), 2004 (was 74)
J.R. "Curly" Seckler (BG 04) died in Nashville, Tennessee (natural causes), 2017 (was 98)

December 28:

Mike McGuire of Shenandoah born in Haleyville, Alabama, 1958 (now 62)
Marty Roe of Diamond Rio born in Lebanon, Ohio, 1960 (now 60)
Dorsey Burnette born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1932 (died 1979)

Joe Diffie born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1958 (died 2020)
Mike Auldridge (BG 14) died in Silver Spring, Maryland (cancer), 2012 (was 73)
Hank Williams Jr.'s first recording session at age 14, 1963

December 29:

Rose Lee Maphis born in Baltimore, Maryland, 1922 (now 98)
Ed Bruce born in Keiser, Arkansas, 1939 (now 81)

December 30:

Suzy Bogguss born in Aledo, Illinois, 1956 (now 64)
Joaquin Murphey (StG 80) born in Hollywood, California, 1923 (died 1999)
Bob Ferguson born in Willow Spring, Missouri, 1927 (died 2001)
Orville "Red" Rhodes (StG 05) born in Alton, Illinois, 1930 (died 1995)
Skeeter Davis (nee Mary Frances Penick) born in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, 1931 (died 2004)
Melvin Goins (BG 09) born in Bramwell, West Virginia, 1933 (died 2016)
John Hartford (BG 10) born in New York, New York, 1937 (died 2001)
Mike Auldridge (BG 14) born in Washington, DC, 1938 (died 2012)
Elsie McWilliams (NS 79) died in Meridian, Mississippi (natural causes), 1985 (was 89)
Henry Strzelecki died in Nashville, Tennessee (hit by car), 2014 (was 75)


December 31:

Talmadge Lewis of the Lewis Family (BG 06) born in Lincolnton, Georgia, 1934 (now 86)
Rex Allen Sr. born in Wilcox, Arizona, 1920 (died 1999)
Dale Noe born in New Boston, Ohio, 1927 (died 2005)
John Denver born in Roswell, New Mexico, 1943 (died 1997)
Rick Nelson died in DeKalb, Texas (plane crash), 1985 (was 45)
Floyd Cramer (CM 03) died in Nashville, Tennessee (lung cancer), 1997 (was 64)
Jim McReynolds of Jim & Jesse (BG 93) died in Gallatin, Tennessee (cancer), 2002 (was 75)
Hairl Hensley (DJ 95) died in Nashville, Tennessee (illness), 2017 (was 82)

Ray Sawyer died in Daytona Beach, Florida (brief illness), 2019 (was 81)
Charlie Louvin injured in car accident near Manchester, Tennessee, 2001
The original Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum building closed, 2000

"I Was Just Born to Be Exactly What You See"

 Category: News/Obituary

Country music has lost one of its greatest voices of the 60s and 70s in the death of Charley Pride. 

Pride died today (12/12) of complications from COVID-19 in Dallas.

Charley Frank Pride was born in Sledge, Mississippi and grew up listening to country music and singing along with the singers on the Grand Ole Opry.  Although he always sang and played guitar, his first love was baseball.  He was a star pitcher for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro League in the 50s and early 60s (split by his time as quartermaster in the Army), and was twice selected to the Negro League All-Star Team.  

But that love of music couldn't stay in the background, and after local gigs in Montana got him noticed, a demo tape made it to Chet Atkins, who signed Pride to RCA and released his first single in 1966, the great love-triangle-murder song "The Snakes Crawl At Night.”

Pride's took care to keep traditional country sounds in his music amid the pop-influenced "Nashville sound" and "countrypolitan" crossover that was popular at the time.  As a result, he quickly rose to stardom; then, in 1971, superstardom thanks to "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’."

The hits kept coming: "I'm Just Me," "Gone, On the Other Hand," a cover of "Kaw-Liga," "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)," and countless more that kept a string of top ten hits going through 1984's "The Power of Love."

Among a career full of accolades Pride was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.  In 2016, he was given the "Master" Award from the Ameripolitan Music Awards.  And, earlier this year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys.

Survivors include Rozine, Pride's wife of 64 years, and three children. 

One of Pride's great hits was "I'm Just Me," where he explained himself succinctly:

I was just born to be exactly what you see

Nothing more or less

I’m not the worst or the best…

Today, and every day, Im just me

Indeed he was, and how blessed we are that he was just Charley Pride.

The legendary Charley Pride was 86.

Dates of Note in Country Music, December 1-15

 Category: News

(Hall of Fame members in bold on birth/death date, followed by hall[s] of fame in which they are enshrined and the year enshrined.  CM=Country Music; BG=Bluegrass; DJ=Country Disc Jockey; NS=Nashville Songwriter; SG=Southern Gospel; StG=Steel Guitar; WS=Western Swing; GLA=Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient; RR=country performer also in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)

December 1:

Darryl Ellis born in Norfolk, Virginia, 1964 (now 56)

Silm Willet born in Dublin, Texas, 1919 (died 1966)

Jim Nesbitt born in Bishopville, South Carolina, 1931 (died 2007)

Fred Rose (CM 61, NS 70) died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart failure), 1954 (was 57)

Carter Stanley (BG 92) died in Bristol, Tennessee (cirrhosis of the liver), 1966 (was 41)

December 2:

John Wesley Ryles born in Bastrop, Louisiana, 1950 (now 70)

Herman Crook born in Scottsboro, Tennessee, 1898 (died 1988)

Marvin Hughes died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1986 (was 75)
Mark Gray died in Lebanon, Tennessee (unknown cause), 2016 (was 64) 

"Tennessee Waltz" recorded by Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart, 1947

December 3:

Paul Gregg of Restless Heart born in New York, New York, 1954 (now 66)

Ferlin Husky (CM 10) born in Flat River, Missouri, 1927 (died 2011)

Rabon Delmore (CM 01, NS 71) born in Dothan, Alabama, 1916 (died 1952)

Hubert Long (CM 79) born in Poteet, Texas, 1923 (died 1972)

Lew Childre died in Foley, Albama (various health issues), 1961 (was 60)

Grady Martin died (heart attack), 2001 (was 72)

Homer Bailes of the Bailes Brothers died in Ruston, Louisiana (natural causes), 2013 (was 91)

Bob Wills recorded "What Makes Bob Holler," 1973.  He suffered a stroke during the night after the recording session and never spoke or sang again.

December 4:

Chris Hillman born in Los Angeles, California, 1944 (now 76)

Rabon Delmore (CM 01, NS 71) died in Athens, Alabama (lung cancer), 1952 (was 36)

Connie B. Gay (CM 80) died in Fairfax, Virginia (cancer), 1989 (was 75)

Bob Montgomery died in Lee's Summit, Missouri (Parkinson's disease), 2014 (was 77)

Eddy Arnold's first record session as a solo artist, 1944

Sun Records' "Million Dollar Quartet" of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis record together, 1956

Connie B. Gay elected inaugural president of the Country Music Association, 1958

December 5:

Jim Messina of Poco born in Harlingen, Texas, 1947 (now 73)

Ty England born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1963 (now 57)

Ray Whitley (NS 81) born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1901 (died 1979)

Eddie Alkire (Steel Guitar 83) born in Hacker, West Virginia, 1907 (died 1981)

Michael "Bea" Lilly (BG 02) born in Clear Creek, West Virginia, 1921 (died 2005)

Don Robertson (NS 72) born in Peking, China, 1922 (died 2015)

Molly O'Day died in Huntington, West Virginia (cancer), 1987 (was 64)

Wilf Carter (Montana Slim) (NS 71) died in Scottsdale, Arizona (stomach cancer), 1996 (was 91)

The soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou released, 2000

December 6:

Helen Cornelius born in Hannibal, Missouri, 1941 (now 79)

Bill Lloyd of Foster & Lloyd born in Ft. Hood, Texas, 1955 (now 65)

Hugh Farr (CM 80) born in Llano, Texas, 1903 (died 1980)

Eddie Alkire (StG 83) born in Hacker Valley, West Virginia, 1907 (died 1981)

Jim Eanes born in Mountain Valley, Virginia, 1923 (died 1995)

Huddie "Lead Belly" Leadbetter (NS 80) died in New York, New York (Lou Gehrig's Disease), 1949 (was 60)

Roy Orbison (NS 87) died in Hendersonville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1989 (was 52)

December 7:

Don Maddox born in Boaz, Alabama, 1923 (now 98)

Bobby Osborne (BG 94) born in Hyden, Kentucky, 1931 (now 89)

Hugh X. Lewis born in Yeaddiss, Kentucky, 1932 (now 88)

Gary Morris born in Fort Worth, Texas, 1948 (now 72)

Ronnie Sessions born in Henrietta, Oklahoma, 1948 (now 72)

Slim Bryant born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1908 (died 2010)

Darrell Glenn born in Waco, Texas, 1935 (died 1990)

Dawn Sears born in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, 1961 (died 2014)

Bill Boyd died in Dallas, Texas (unknown cause), 1977 (was 67)

December 8:

Marty Raybon born in Stanford, Florida, 1959 (now 60)

Jack Stapp (CM 89) born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1912 (died 1980)

Floyd Tillman (CM 83, NS 70) born in Ryan, Oklahoma, 1914 (died 2003)

Marty Robbins (CM 82, NS 75) died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1982 (was 57)

Bonnie Lou (Mary Joan Kath) died in Cincinnati, Ohio (natural causes), 2015 (was 91)

December 9:

Billy Edd Wheeler (NS 00) born in Whitesville, Virginia, 1932 (now 88)

David Kersh born in Humble, Texas, 1970 (now 50)

David Houston born in Bossier City, Louisiana, 1938 (died 1993)

Tommy Jackson died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1979 (was 53)

December 10:

Johnny Rodriguez born in Sabinal, Texas, 1951 (now 69)

Eddie Miller (NS 75) born in Camargo, Oklahoma, 1919 (died 1977)

Roy Ayers (StG 07) born in Columbus, Mississippi, 1929 (died 2012)
Jimmy Riddle died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 1982 (was 64)

John Duffey (BG 96, BG 14) died (heart attack), 1996 (was 62)

Faron Young (CM 00) died in Nashville, Tennessee (suicide [gunshot]), 1996 (was 64)
Leon Rhodes died in Nashville, Tennessee (long illness), 2017 (was 85)

Before the evening's WSM Barn Dance began, announcer George D. Hay commented, "For the past hour, you've been listening to selections taken from grand opera. Now we present Grand Ole Opry," 1927.

December 11:

Brenda Lee (CM 97, RR 02; GLA 09) born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1944 (now 76)

Charles Whitstein born in Colfax, Louisiana, 1945 (now 75)

Arthur Q. Smith (ne James Arthur Pritchett) born in Griffin, Georgia, 1909 (died 1963)

Cousin Jody (ne James Summey) born in Sevierville, Tennessee, 1914 (died 1975)

Tom Brumley (StG 92) born in Stella, Missouri, 1935 (died 2009)

Fiddlin' John Carson died in Atlanta, Georgia (natural causes), 1949 (was 81)

Dawn Sears died in Nashville, Tennessee (lung cancer), 2014 (was 53)
Jack Scott died in Warren, Michigan (congestive heart failure), 2019 (was 83)

Commercial plane with Tex Ritter aboard as a passenger hijacked to Cuba, 1968

December 12:

LaCosta Tucker born in Seminole, Texas, 1951 (now 69)

Shelton Hank Williams (Hank III) born in Houston, Texas, 1972 (now 48)

Maurice Anderson (StG 06) born in Dallas, Texas, 1934 (died 2013)

Clifton Chenier died in Lafayette, Louisiana (kidney disease related to diabetes), 1987 (was 62)

Charley Pride (CM 00, GLA 20) died in Dallas, Texas (COVID-19), 2020 (was 86)

December 13:

Buck White born in Oklahoma, 1930 (now 90)

Randy Owen of Alabama (CM 05) born in Fort Payne, Alabama, 1949 (now 71)

John Anderson (NS 14) born in Orlando, Florida, 1954 (now 66)

Wesley Tuttle born in Lamar, Colorado, 1917 (died 2003)

Wayne Walker (NS 75) born in Quapaw, Oklahoma, 1925 (died 1979)

Millie Kirkham of the Anita Kerr Singers died in Nashville, Tennessee (complications of a stroke), 2015 (was 91)

Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman wed, 1934

December 14:

DeFord Bailey (CM 05) born in Smith County, Tennessee, 1899 (died 1982)

Walter Haynes (StG 03) born in Kingsport, Tennessee, 1928 (died 2009)

Charlie Rich born in Forest City, Arkansas, 1932 (died 1995)

Billie Jo Spears died in Vidor, Texas (cancer), 2011 (was 73)

December 15:

Doug Phelps of Kentucky Headhunters born in Leachville, Arkansas, 1960 (now 60)

Alvin Pleasant Carter (CM 70, NS 70, BG 01; GLA 05) born in Maces Spring, Virginia, 1891 (died 1960)

Jerry Wallace born in Guilford, Missouri, 1928 (died 2008)

Ernie Ashworth born in Huntsville, Alabama, 1928 (died 2009)

Nudie Cohn (ne Nuta Kotlyarenko) born in Kiev, Ukraine, 1902 (died 1984)
William Eugene "Red" Rector born in Marshall, North Carolina, 1929 (died 1990)
Jerry Chesnut (NS 92) died in Nashville, Tennessee (natural causes), 2018 (was 87)

Hank Williams married Audrey Guy, 1944

Dates of Note in Country Music, November 16-30

 Category: News

(Hall of Fame members in bold on birth/death date, followed by hall[s] of fame in which they are enshrined and the year enshrined.  CM=Country Music; BG=Bluegrass; DJ=Country Disc Jockey; NS=Nashville Songwriter; SG=Southern Gospel; StG= Steel Guitar; WS=Western Swing; GLA=Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient; RR=country singer also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

November 16:

Troy Seals (NS 88) born in Bill Hill, Kentucky, 1938 (now 82)
Larry Cordel born in Cordell, Kentucky, 1949 (now 71)
Will Goleman of the Cactus Brothers born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1963 (now 57)
Ernest Tubb biographer Ronnie Pugh born in Texas, year unknown
W.C. Handy (NS 83) born in Florence, Alabama, 1873 (died 1958)
Gene Sullivan (NS 71) born in Carbon Hill, Alabama, 1914 (died 1984)
Earl Bolick born in Hickory, North Carolina, 1919 (died 1998)
Sol Ho'opi'i (StG 79) died in Seattle, Washington (extended illness), 1953 (was 48)
J.D. Sumner (SG 97) died in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (heart attack), 1998 (was 73)
Mentor Williams died in Taos, New Mexico (unknown cause), 2016 (was 70)

November 17:

Gordon Lightfoot born in Orilla, Ontario, Canada, 1938 (now 82). The legendary folk singer has written such hits as Marty Robbins' "Ribbon of Darkness" and Bill Anderson's "Did She Mention My Name," and a number of his own recordings have made the country chart.
Wiley Walker (NS 71) born in Laurel Hill, Florida, 1911 (died 1966)
Eva Foley (Red Foley's wife) died in Nashville, Tennessee (suicide), 1951 (was 33)
Don Gibson (CM 01, NS 73) died in Nashville, Tennessee (natural causes), 2003 (was 75)
Ramona Jones died in Goodlettesville, Tennessee (heart attack), 2015 (was 91)

November 18:

John McFee of Southern Pacific born in Santa Cruz, California, 1953 (now 67)
Jessi Alexander born in Jackson, Tennessee, 1976 (now 44)
Doug Sahm died in Taos, New Mexico (heart attack), 1999 (was 58)
John Hughey (StG 96) died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart disease), 2007 (was 73)

November 19:

Jerry Foster (NS 94) born in Tallapoosa, Missouri, 1935 (now 85)
Joe Falcon died (unknown cause), 1965 (was 65). Falcon is credited with making the first recording of a Cajun song in 1928 with "Allons a Lafayette."
Bobby Russell (NS 94) died in Nicholasville, Kentucky (coronary artery disease), 1992 (was 52)
Buford Abner of the Swanee River Boys (SG 02) died in Ashland, Alabama (natural causes), 2011 (was 94)
Mel Tillis (CM 07, NS 76) died in Ocala, Florida (respiratory failure), 2017 (was 85)

November 20:

Roger Murrah (NS 05) born in Athens, Alabama, 1946 (now 74)
George Grantham of Poco and Ricky Skaggs' band born in Cordell, Oklahoma, 1947 (now 73)
Josh Turner born in Hannah, South Carolina, 1977 (now 43)
Eck Robertson born in Madison County, Arkansas, 1897 (died 1975)
Judy Canova born in Starke, Florida, 1913 (died 1983)
Curly Putman (NS 76) born in Princeton, Alabama, 1930 (died 2016)
RCA buys the contract of Elvis Presley from Sun Records for $35,000, 1955

November 21:

Jean Shepard (CM 11) born in Paul Valley, Oklahoma, 1933 (died 2016)
Joe Carson born in Holliday, Texas, 1936 (died 1964)
Jim Eanes died in Martinsville, Virginia (congestive heart failure), 1995 (was 71)
Bill Vernon (BG 04) died in Rocky Mount, Virginia (asthma-induced heart attack), 1996 (was 59)
Bob White (StG 90) died in Ft. Smith, Arkansas (unknown cause), 2003 (was 70)
Charlie Cline (BG 09) died in Jasper, Alabama (long-term illness), 2004 (was 73)
Paul Yandell, C.G.P. died in Hendersonville, Tennessee (cancer), 2011 (was 76)
Charlie Daniels refused to play the "Country Freedom Concert" after being told not to perform "This Ain't No Rag, It's a Flag," 2001

November 22:

Hoagy Carmichael (NS 88) born in Bloomington, Indiana, 1899 (died 1981)
Wiley Post born in Grand Saline, Texas, 1899 (died 1935)
Doye O'Dell born in Plainview, Texas, 1912 (died 2001)
Ted Harris (NS 90) died in Lewisburg, Tennessee (unknown cause), 2015 (was 78)
First Disc Jockey Convention held in Nashville, 1952
Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan married, 1986

November 23:

Charlie Black (NS 91) born in Cheverly, Maryland, 1949 (now 71)
Charlie Sizemore born in Richmond, Kentucky, 1960 (now 60)
Jerry Sullivan born in Wagarville, Alabama, 1933 (died 2014)
Spade Cooley died in Oakland, California (heart attack), 1969 (was 58)
Grady Nutt died in Vinemont, Alabama (plane crash), 1982 (was 48)
Roy Acuff (CM 62, GLA 87) died in Nashville, Tennessee (congestive heart failure), 1992 (was 89)
Smokey Rogers died (unknown cause), 1993 (was 76)

Hal Ketchum died in Nashville, Tennessee (dementia), 2020 (was 67)

November 24:

Johnny Carver born in Jackson, Mississippi, 1940 (now 80)
Steve Nelson (NS 73) born in New York, New York, 1907 (died 1981)
Stoney Edwards born in Seminole, Oklahoma, 1929 (died 1997)
Johnny Sibert (StG 98) born in Indianapolis, Indiana, 1933 (died 2013)
Teddy Wilburn died in Nashville, Tennessee (congestive heart failure), 2003 (was 71)
Charlie Douglas (DJ 94) died in Covington, Louisiana (unknown cause), 2011 (was 78)
Wanted! The Outlaws by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter certified platinum, making it the first certified platinum country music album in history, 1976

November 25:

Amy Grant born in Augusta, Georgia, 1960 (now 60)
Eddie Stubbs (DJ 12, BG 20) born in Gaithersburg, Maryland, 1961 (now 59).  The Johnson Mountain Boys are part of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame "class of 2020."
Biff Collie born in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1926 (died 1992)
Kayton Roberts (StG 12) born in Ona, Florida, 1933 (died 2017)
Ralph Emery debuted on WSM in overnight slot, 1957

November 26:

Hal Blair (NS 03) born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1915 (died 2001)

November 27:

Eddie Rabbitt (NS 98) born in Brooklyn, New York, 1941 (died 1998)
Charlene Arthur died in Idaho (atherosclerosis), 1987 (was 58)

November 28:

WSM Barn Dance (later known as the Grand Ole Opry) born, 1925 (now 95)
A.L. "Doodle" Owens (NS 99) born in Waco, Texas, 1930 (died 1999)
Carrie Rodgers, widow of Jimmie Rodgers, died in San Antonio, Texas (cancer), 1961

November 29:

Joel Whitburn born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1938 (now 82)
Jody Miller born in Phoenix, Arizona, 1941 (now 79)
Merle Travis (CM 77, NS 70) born in Rosewood, Kentucky, 1917 (died 1983)
Jim Nesbitt died in Florence, South Carolina (heart ailment), 2007 (was 75)

November 30:

Bob Moore born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1932 (now 88)
Jeannie Kendall born in St. Louis, Missouri, 1954 (now 66)
Teddy Wilburn born in Hardy, Arkansas, 1931 (died 2003)
Jack Reno born in Bloomfield, Iowa, 1935 (died 2008)
Mindy McCready born in Ft. Myers, Florida, 1975 (died 2013)
David Houston died in Bossier City, Louisiana (brain aneurysm), 1993 (was 54)
Howard "Happy" Goodman (SG 03) died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 2002 (was 81)