Jamie O’Hara, Who Penned Hits for the Judds and More, Diagnosed With ‘Aggressive Cancer’
Singer-songwriter Jamie O'Hara, who wrote a number of hit songs for other recording artists and made up one-half of 1980s country duo the O'Kanes, has received a devastating cancer diagnosis.
According to a statement from his wife, Lola White, which was reposted by the Nashville-based independent music company Moraine Music Group, O'Hara was recently diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer.
"It is with deep sorrow, dear friends, that I must tell you that my husband Jamie, the love of my life, has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that has us measuring his life in weeks," White shares. "Something about making an announcement in this format seems very wrong, but there are so many people who should know, and so little time to contact everyone individually. I apologize for that, but I did want you to know.
"My heart is shattered, and I'm spending every moment I can with him," White adds.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, in August of 1950, O'Hara moved to Nashville in the mid '70s, signed a publishing contract and began work as a songwriter. Between 1986 and 1990, he and Kieran Kane -- a fellow performer signed to the same publishing company -- formed the O'Kanes, who put out three albums on Columbia Records and charted a handful of songs inside the Billboard Hot Country Top 10; one of those tracks, "Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You," became the duo's first and only No. 1 hit.
Alone, O'Hara penned "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)," which was a massive hit for the mother-daughter duo The Judds. Not only did the song become a No. 1 hit at country radio, it also scored O'Hara a Grammy in the category of Best Country Song in 1986.
Moreover, in 1987, the O'Kanes netted a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals, courtesy of "Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You."
According to O'Hara's website, he's also written songs for the legendary likes of Tim McGraw, George Jones, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Trisha Yearwood and many more. Following the O'Kanes' breakup in 1990, he went on to release multiple solo albums and continued his career as a songwriter.
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