Country music fans didn't get through the year without having to say goodbye to a few young stars and a few well known legends. Some artists who passed away, like Marshall Grant and Joel 'Taz' DiGregorio, were best known for backing up superstars like Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels. The old saying says that behind every great man, there's an equally great woman. Many of the artists on this list prove that behind every great singer, there's an equally great group of pickers and fiddlers.

Legends like Liz Anderson and Mel McDaniel were also called home in 2011, and the LoCash Cowboys will surely be wondering why one of their own had to go so young. Flip through this list of country artists who died in 2011, and remember to appreciate the ones we still have -- and more importantly, the friends and family you still count on.

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