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Patty Andrews, Last-Surviving of the Andrews Sisters, Dead
Patty Andrews, the last-surviving member of the Andrews Sisters, passed away on Wednesday (Jan. 30) at the age of 94.
R.I.P.
R.I.P.
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Bluegrass Musician Billy Joe Foster Dead at Age 51
January 24, 2013 During an over 20-year career, Billy Joe Foster worked with the biggest names in bluegrass. He shared the stage with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder and Bill Monroe and Country Gazette, and was a regular on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. After a battle with multiple sclerosis, Foster has died. He was just 51 years old.
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‘His and Hers’ Singer Tony Douglas Dies
January 23, 2013 Country singer Tony Douglas's battle with lymphoma has ended. The popular '60s and '70's Texas hero and Louisiana Hayride star was best known nationally for his 1963 hit 'His and Hers,' but also scored two other songs on the Top 40 between a long career in the south and southwest. Douglas died in Athens, Texas on Tuesday (Jan. 22).
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John Wilkinson, Longtime Guitar Player for Elvis Presley, Dead at 67
January 14, 2013 John Wilkinson was by Elvis Presley's side for the last 10 years of the singer's life, playing over 1,200 shows with Presley until 1977. The pairing was both destined and miraculous, as Wilkinson once snuck backstage to tell the legend that he didn't know how to play guitar. The slight -- from a 10-year-old Wilkinson -- was received warmly by the King, but it'd be another decade before they'd join forces. The rhythm guitarist died on on Friday (Jan. 11) after a battle with cancer.
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‘Chevy Van’ Singer, Country Songwriter Sammy Johns Dead at 66
January 8, 2013 Singer Sammy Johns is best known for his hit 'Chevy Van' from 1975, but he made a lasting impression on country music writing hits for Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty and John Conlee. Johns died in Gaston, N.C. on Friday (Jan. 4) at the age of 66.
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‘Tennessee Waltz’ Singer Patti Page Dead at 85
January 2, 2013 The iconic voice of Patti Page has been silenced, as the 'Tennessee Waltz' singer died in Encinitas, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2013. Page was the most successful female singer of the '50s with an astounding 100 million records sold, according to the Associated Press. The Grammy and ACM Pioneer Award-winner leaves behind two children.
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Country Artists We’ve Lost in 2012
December 14, 2012 While there were no tragic losses of active country music singers in 2012, a few legends and more than a few personalities with a heavy influence on the country music genre died this year. Big names like Earl Scruggs, Kitty Wells and Doc Watson all passed. But songwriters, like Tim Johnson and Frank Dycus, were every bit as important to the genre, even if they weren't household names.
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Clint Black Grieving After Unexpected Death of His Father
December 4, 2012 The father of country superstar Clint Black has died. G.A. Black left his family shocked and saddened when he chose to "end his own suffering" on Sunday (Dec. 2). He was 78 years old.
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Frank Dycus, Songwriter for George Strait, Gary Allan + More, Dead at 72
November 26, 2012 Frank Dycus, the man who helped write hit songs like 'Marina del Ray' for George Strait and 'Gonna Get a Life' for Mark Chesnutt, has died. The songwriter had over 500 songs published during a 45-year career that included many works with frequent Strait songwriter Dean Dillon.
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Bill Dees, Songwriter Behind Johnny Cash’s ‘Best Friend,’ Dead
Songwriter Bill Dees, best-known for co-writing Roy Orbison's classic 1964 hit, 'Oh, Pretty Woman,' died Wednesday (Oct. 26) at a nursing facility in Mountain Home, Ark. He was 73.