10 Country Music Singers Who Died Too Soon
Contents
Here are 10 country music singers who died too soon, including Hank Williams, John Denver, and Patsy Cline.
Introduction
There are few things more tragic than a young life cut short. In the world of country music, there have been far too many cases of talented singers dying before their time. Here are ten of the most heartbreaking cases.
1. Hank Williams
2. Patsy Cline
3. Jim Reeves
4. Conway Twitty
5. John Denver
6. Keith Whitley
7. Richie McDonald
8. Troy Gentry
9. Jenni Rivera
10. Joey Feek
Hank Williams
Hank Williams was an American country music singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Though he only recorded a handful of hit songs, Williams is considered one of the most important and influential country musicians of all time. His version of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is considered a country music standard.
Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29, from heart failure caused by alcohol and drug abuse.
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia. She was one of country music’s first crossover stars, winning both critical and popular acclaim. Her legendary status was cemented by her tragic death at the age of 30 in a 1963 plane crash.
Jimmie Rodgers
Jimmie Rodgers was an American country singer in the early 20th century, known as the “Father of Country Music.” He died of tuberculosis on May 26, 1933, at the age of 35.
The Carter Family
The Carter Family was an American country music group that originally consisted of Alvin Pleasant “A. P.” Carter (1891–1960), his wife Sara Dougherty Carter (1898–1979), and Maybelle Addington Carter (1909–1978). Maybelle was the lead guitarist and lead singer in the group, which became one of the first commercially successful country music groups.
The Carter Family made their first recordings on July 18, 1927. They recorded `Wandering Boy’ for the Victor Talking Machine Company. The song became a hit, and led to a recording contract with Victor. The group recorded nine songs in all for Victor, including `Wildwood Flower’, `Keep On The Sunny Side’, `Can The Circle Be Unbroken’, and `Will The Circle Be Unbroken’.
The Carters’ success came to an end with the Great Depression, which severely limited the market for records. They disbanded in 1931, but reunited in 1933 to make more records for Victor. Unfortunately, A.P.’s health began to fail in the mid-1930s, and he died in 1960. Sara died in 1979, and Maybelle died in 1978.
John Denver
John Denver (1943-1997) was an American country music singer-songwriter, actor, activist, and poet. His career lasted more than four decades and he recorded and released more than 300 songs.
Denver’s songs “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, “Annie’s Song”, “Rocky Mountain High”, “Sunshine on My Shoulders”, and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” became international hits.
He died in a plane crash at the age of 53.
Merle Haggard
Born in Bakersfield, California, on April 6, 1937, Merle Haggard was the son of two Oklahoma sharecroppers who moved west during the Depression in search of a better life. Haggard’s father died of a brain hemorrhage when the future country legend was just 9 years old, and young Merle soon turned to a life of crime, spending time in and out of juvenile detention centers before eventually landing in San Quentin State Prison on burglary and attempted escape charges. It was there that Haggard first heard the music of country star Lefty Frizzell, an experience that changed his life. After being released from prison in 1960, he began playing country music with various bands before hitting it big as a solo artist with songs like “Mama Tried” and “Okie From Muskogee.” He went on to win numerous Grammy Awards and was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Haggard died on April 6, 2016, his 79th birthday.
George Jones
George Jones was an American country music singer-songwriter who won several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He died on April 26, 2013, at the age of 81.
Jones was known for his distinctive voice and for his songs about drinking, cheating, and other topics that were often considered taboo in country music. His signature song, “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” is widely considered to be one of the greatest country songs of all time.
Other notable George Jones songs include “White Lightning,” “The Grand Tour,” and “If Drinking Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will).”
Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette was an American country music singer and songwriter. Wynette was considered one of country music’s greats and her best-known song, “Stand by Your Man”, is one of the genre’s signature songs.
Wynette was born in Tremont, Mississippi, the only daughter of tobacco sharecroppers Mae (née Moore) and Melvin Wesley Hollinshed. She grew up in her parents’ home, which had no indoor toilets or running water. She was raised with an aunt, Carolyn Russell, who was five years older. As a child Frank Sinatra and Patsy Cline were her favorite musical influences. At the age of 12, Wynette taught herself how to play a guitar given to her by her father and soon after started writing songs with the help of Aunt Carolyn. Wynette attended Tremont High School, where she was a cheerleader. A month before graduation, several months before her 18th birthday, she married Euple Byrd from Red Bay in Coffee County in Alabama; they moved into a house he had purchased for them in Mayfield Heights subdivision outside Tremont. Tammy Wynette bore him three daughters: Gwendolyn, Jackie and Georgette. Euple Byrd died of a brain tumor shortly after his daughter Georgette was born on October 19, 1967; Georgette died nine days later on October 28 from respiratory failure caused by pneumonia at the age of seven weeks old.
Keith Whitley
Keith Whitley was an American country music singer. During his career, Whitley charted nineteen singles on the Billboard country charts, including five number ones. He died in 1989 at the age of 33 from alcohol poisoning.
