The Curtain Falls On Many Country Music Voices In 2022

Peter Cooper

K.F. Raizor, author of the website Raizor's Edge and the book We Can't Sing and We Ain't Funny: The World of Homer and Jethro is our guest writer today on That Nashville Sound. She lists some of the musicians and singers we lost along the way in country music this year. 

Here are the people from the world of country music who took their final bows in 2022.

Andrew “Drew” Alexander (December 31, 2021, short illness, age 52): the son of former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander served as the head of Nashville Curb Records’ publishing arm.

Jerry Allison (August 22, cancer, age 82): the final original Cricket (Buddy Holly’s backing band), he played drums and co-wrote two of Holly’s classic songs, “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue.”

Slim Andrews (January 15, cancer, age 90): Maine-based country music singer who was popular and active onstage and off, founding the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame.

Steve Arlin (August 24, cerebral aneurysm, age 78): banjo player for Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in the early 60s and member of the New York Ramblers and Trouble Creek String Band.

Jerry Paul Arnold (July 31, Alzheimer’s, age 86): music teacher who also served in the house bands for Pop! Goes the Country and Nashville Now.

Bobby Lee Atkins (March 27, unknown cause age 88): second cousin of Chet Atkins was a banjo player for the Blue Grass Boy and later became the Old Dominion Barn Dance’s house band leader, the Dixie Mountaineers.

Randy Bailey (August 16, infection/COVID-19, age 68): bluegrass musician and longtime host of WBJB’s Bluegrass Jam in New Jersey.

Luke Bell (August 29, fentanyl overdose, age 32): up-and-coming alt-country neotraditionalist who’d had a single in 2021 with “Jealous Guy.”

Jerry Bentley (August 28, unknown cause, age 79): Lee Greenwood’s manager for 30 years.

Bayron Binkley (April 25, unknown cause, age 89): longtime Nashville country music TV show producer and director who worked on Ralph Emery’s local program as well as syndicated shows by Flatt & Scruggs, Jim Ed Brown, and others.  He also worked as a producer for several early Nashville Network shows and specials.

Baxter Black (June 10, leukemia, age 77): “America’s poet lariat,” a Western poet and writer who worked on NPR and wrote over 30 books related to Western poetry and life.

Thom Bresh (May 23, esophageal cancer, age 74): the son of the legendary Merle Travis had his own hit in 1976 with “Home Made Love.”

Bruce Burch (March 12, leukemia, age 69): songwriter behind hits such as Reba’s songs “It’s Your Call” and “Rumor Has It,” among many others.

Bob Burrell (August 13, unknown cause, age 71): co-founder of the Warner Western record label as well as managing the likes of Lee Roy Parnell and Michael Martin Murphy.

Hal Bynum (June 2, complications from a stroke, age 87): country songwriter whose career went from George Jones’ “The Old, Old House” to Jim Reeves’ Nobody’s Fool” to the monster crossover hit “Lucille” by Kenny Rogers.

Jeff Carson (March 26, heart attack, age 58): 1990s/early 2000s country singer with hits such as “Not on Your Love” and “Holding Onto Somethin’.”  He later left country music to become a Franklin, Tennessee policeman.

Joe Chambers (September 28, illness, age 80): the founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville, as well as a songwriter (“Somebody Lied,” “Old 8x10”).

Kerry Chater (February 4, unknown cause, age 76): the co-founder of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap moved to country music, writing such hits as “I Know a Heartache When I See One,” “You’re the First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving,” and “You Look So Good in Love.”

Terry Choate (September 14, complications from diabetes, age 68): industry board member for the AFM union and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, producer of many albums including the first release by the Time Jumpers, and music supervisor for TV programs.

Jeff Cook (November 2, complications from Parkinson’s disease, age 73): Country Music and Musicians Hall of Fame member for his work on lead guitar and fiddle in the band Alabama.

Al Cooley (ne Al Bianculli) (June 9, cancer, age 75): longtime music executive in Nashville who worked for Combine Music Publishing.  He also co-founded MusicRow, the Nashville music publication. 

Peter Cooper (December 6, fall, age 52): one of the most loved and respected journalists in Nashville was also a record producer, songwriter, and bass player.

Tommy Cordell (October 30, unknown cause, age 65): well-known bluegrass fiddler and multiple Florida State Fiddle Champion winner who worked with the likes of Dave Evans & River Bend and Larry Sparks.

Jerry Crutchfield (January 11, unknown cause, age 87): songwriter (Barbara Fairchild's "Kid Stuff"), producer, and industry executive who spent more than 50 years in the industry.

Billie Burton Daniel (October 1, natural causes, age 98): the singer and last surviving member of Charlotte, North Carolina’s string band the Briarhoppers, who began performing in 1936.

Mike Dekle (February 24, lung cancer, age 77): successful songwriter whose hits include “don’t Love Make a Diamond Shine” and “Country Must Be Country Wide.”

Heather Dunbar (February 7, unknown cause, age 71): longtime host of the country/bluegrass program The Salt Creek Show on Ithaca, New York’s WVBR-FM.

Ray Edenton (September 22, unknown cause, age 95): Musicians Hall of Fame inductee and one of Nashville’s “A Team” session men, he played on over 12,000 recordings in his long career.

Don Edwards (October 23, unknown cause, age 86): Western Music Hall of Fame inductee with a long career as a poet, historian, and Grammy-nominated performer.

Eddie Edwards (June 19, unknown cause, age 75): 2013 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee who was a two-time award winner for his radio work (1986 ACM, 1987 CMA).

Dan Einstein (January 15, long illness, age 61): co-founder, with John Prine, of Prine's Oh Boy record label.

Ward Eller (September 20, natural causes, age 92): IBMA “Pioneer of Bluegrass” recipient who was a founding member of the 1940s bluegrass band the Church Brothers.

Ralph Emery (January 15, unknown cause, age 88): Country Music Hall of Fame DJ who kept the WSM overnight country music shift for decades, then later hosted country TV shows such as Nashville Now and Pop! Goes the Country.

Ernest Tubb Record Shop (May 3, changing times, 75th birthday): the first, the longest lasting, and the most iconic of the star-owned record stores in Nashville.  Started by Ernest Tubb in 1947 in response to fan complaints that they couldn't find his records, the store was a mainstay on Nashville's Lower Broadway and hosted the second-longest running radio show, The Midnight Jamboree.

Niko Everette (July 9, car wreck, age 32): drummer who worked with Luke Bryan before moving to rock bands.

Dewey Farmer (July 12, illness, age 79): mandolin player who worked with the likes of Carl Story’s Rambling Mountaineers, Chubby Wise, and Mac Wiseman.

Ben Farrell (August 10, unknown cause, age 76): the president of Varnell Enterprises, a concert promotion company, where he worked promoting everyone from Elvis to Alan Jackson to Garth Brooks.

Jake Flint (November 26, unknown cause, age 37): up-and-coming “red dirt” artist with two albums to his credit.  He died a few hours after his wedding.

Dallas Frazier (January 14, complications of a stroke, age 82): Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member with a long list of songwriting credits from the pop song “Alley-Oop” to the first CMA song of the year “There Goes My Everything.”

Jane Frost (February 27, cancer, age 74): country music scholar who co-authored Byron Berline’s autobiography.

Fred Geiger (January 12, house fire, age 82): bluegrass banjo player and longtime journalist for Bluegrass Unlimited and The Banjo Newsletter.

Joe Gilchrist (May 25, unknown cause, age 80): a schoolteacher who bought a little nightclub called the Flora-Bama Lounge, Package, and Oyster Bar, which became a hub for upcoming and well-known songwriters.

Mickey Gilley (May 7, bone cancer, age 86): country singer with his own list of hits, cousin of Jerry Lee Lewis (who also died this year), and owner of Gilley’s, the Houston nightclub featured in the country-themed movie Urban Cowboy. 

Doc Gonzales (April 15, unknown cause, age 59): owner of the talent agency Triple Crown Management, whose clients included Lonestar, Billy Dean, and Little Texas.

Jane Dowden Grams (March 24, unknown cause, age 90): president of Show Biz, Inc, the syndication company behind countless country TV shows including The Porter Wagoner Show, The Wilburn Brothers Show, and Pop! Goes the Country.

Patrick Haggerty (October 31, complications from a stroke, age 78): the founder, lead singer, and songwriter for what is considered the first openly-gay country band in history, Lavender Country.

Ed Hardy (July 31, unknown cause, age 73): former president of the Great American Country (GAC) network from 2004 to 2012.  He also served as the interim president of the CMA in 2013.

Clay Hart (July 28, unknown cause, age 86): singer who was known as the primary country music singer on The Lawrence Welk Show in the late 60s and early 70s.

Robert Hicks (February 25, cancer, age 71): country music publisher, co-owner of blues nightclubs with B.B. King, and author of Civil War books and country music history (Guitar and Pen: Short Stories and Story Songs by Nashville Songwriters).

Jimbeau Hinson (March 4, complications of a stroke, age 70): longtime successful country songwriter whose list of credits include “(I’m Sittin’) Fancy Free” by the Oak Ridge Boys, “angel With a Broken Wing” by Mel Street, and “Hillbilly Highway” by Steve Earle.

Jerry Ray Johnston (January 9, COVID-19, age 65): one-time drummer in the staff band of the Grand Ole Opry.

Leslie Jordan (October 24, car wreck, age 67): Emmy-winning Will & Grace actor who also recorded country music and had a radio show called Hunker Down Radio during the COVID pandemic.

Naomi Judd (April 30, suicide [gunshot], age 76): the elder of the mother/daughter duo the Judds.  She died one day before the Judds’ formal induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Anita Kerr (October 10, natural causes, age 94): the head of the Anita Kerr Singers, one of the premiere vocal backing groups during the Nashville Sound era.

Jerry Lee Lewis (October 28, pneumonia, age 87): the Killer, who rebounded from a rock scandal in the early 60s to have a country career more successful in terms of number of hits than his rock days.  Lewis died 12 days after his formal induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Lewis’ musical cousin, Mickey Gilley, also passed away in 2022.

Loretta Lynn (October 4, natural causes, age 90): a woman who needs NO introduction, because no words will suffice to explain her brilliance, longevity, or importance.  Country icon who kicked down doors for female songwriters, rising to worldwide fame in the process.  In addition to her countless country awards she was also given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Warner Mack (March 1, long illness, age 86): country singer with a string of hits in the 60s, best remembered for "The Bridge Washed Out."

Ken Mansfield (November 17, Waldenström macroglobulinemia, age 85): first noticed as the man in the white coat on the roof with the Beatles at their impromptu concert, he went on to produce countless country records, including many from the “Outlaw” era.

Brad Martin (March 11, unknown cause, age 48): traditional country singer who had charted hits in the early 2000s, including “One of Those Days” and “Before I Knew Better.”

Judy Massey (September 25, unknown cause, age 81): producer of several ShowBiz, Inc. television programs.

C.W. McCall (ne William D. Fries Jr.) (April 1, lung cancer, age 93): William Fries was an ad agency executive who created the “C.W. McCall” character for ads.  That morphed into a country music career hat included “Old Home Filler-Up and Keep on a-Truckin’ Cafe,” “There Won’t Be No Country Music,” “Wolf Creek Pass,” and, of course, the 1975 #1 crossover hit “Convoy.” 

Mary McCaslin (October 2, progressive supranuclear palsy, age 75): folk singer who primarily focused her tunes on the old west. 

Glenn Meadows (July 7, short illness, age 68): Grammy-winning record mastering engineer whose list of credits run from rock’s Steely Dan to country’s Merle Haggard.

Blake Mevis (February 9, COVID-19, age 73): songwriter (“Fool Hearted Memory”) and record producer (George Strait, Keith Whitley, Vern Gosdin).

Jody Miller (October 6, complications of Parkinson’s disease, age 80): Grammy-winner for her “answer song” to the Roger Miller (no relation) megahit “King of the Road,” “Queen of the House,” as well as a string of hits in the 60s and 70s including “Let’s All Go Down to the River” and “Good News.”

Charlie Monk (December 19, unknown cause, age 84): the “Mayor of Music Row” was a music publisher and a Country DJ Hall of Fame radio voice that began on his hometown station WGEA and ended with his death on Sirius/XM’s “Willie’s Roadhouse” station.

Tommy Neal (January 11, long illness, age 73): much-loved bluegrass banjo player who got his start playing bass on Del McCoury’s first album.

Bobbie Nelson (March 10, unknown cause, age 91): the sister of Willie Nelson and the pianist in his band for over 50 years.

Dame Olivia Newton-John (August 8, cancer, age 73): the iconic pop singer and actress (Grease) had her first success in country music in the early 70s, with songs like “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)” and “Let Me Be There,” winning the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award in 1974.

Dave Osborne (June 8, complications from a stroke, age 75): North Carolina-based banjo player who toured with the likes of Faron Young before becoming a member of the Renfro Valley Barn Dance band in the 1990s.  He also founded the Fiddlers’ Cove nightclub in Greensboro, NC.

Martha Owen (June 2, unknown cause, age 90): the mother of Alabama’s front man Randy Owen.  Randy Owen’s cousin and bandmate, Jeff Cook, also passed this year.

Jim Owens (March 4, unknown cause, age 84): the husband of Lorianne Crook was one of the most important television producers and syndicators in Nashville throughout the 70s and 80s.  He also owned the TNN trademark, which houses over 10,000 hours of video footage.

Jo Carol Pierce (December 2, cancer, age 78): Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s former wife was a folk singer on her own.

James Price (May 23, unknown cause, age 57): fiddler who began his career with the Goins Brothers and Ralph Stanley, later playing with Little Jimmy Dickens and Johnny Paycheck.

Jack Pruett Jr. (February 1, illness, age 65): the son of Opry singer Jeanne Pruett ad Marty Robbins’ guitarist Jack Pruett Sr. was also a musician, playing bass for the likes of Johnny Russell and Jim Glaser.

Charles Quillen (August 19, unknown cause, age 84): country songwriter with a long list of hits to his credit, including “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World” (Ronnie Milsap), “They Never Lost You” (Con Hunley), and “Why Don’t That Telephone Ring” (Tracy Byrd).

Penny Ragsdale (December 31, 2021, cancer, age 78): the wife of Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Stevens.  They were married for over 60 years.

Chick Rains (January 21, unknown cause, age 83): hit songwriter whose long list of credits include “A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)” by Mickey Gilley, “Down to My Last Broken Heart” by Janie Fricke, and “Somebody Should Leave” by Reba McEntire. 

James Reams (June 17, cancer, age 66): leader of James Reams & the Barnstormers, president of the Arizona Bluegrass Association, and IBMA award nominee.

Pete Reiniger (May 13, unknown cause, age 73): Grammy award-winning (1987) recording engineer for the Smithsonian/Folkways recordings.

Hargus "Pig" Robbins (January 30, multiple illnesses, age 84): the Country Music Hall of Fame piano player who backed countless musicians in country and rock.

Art Rosenbaum (September 4, cancer, age 83): music historian and banjo player whose Art of Field Recording box set of old-time music won him a Grammy for Best Historical Album.

Eloise Wyatt Russo (October 7, natural causes, age 98): longtime hostess at the Grand Ole Opry who worked there until retiring at 93.

Jim Seals (June 6, chronic illness, age 79): half of the soft rock/folk duo Seals and Crofts was also the brother of the late country singer/songwriter Dan Seals.

Lois Curtis Shepherd (October 18, illness, age 98): longtime Lower Broadway performer in Nashville and co-founder of the Broadway Revitalization Committee in the 1980s to save the Lower Broadway area from demolition.

Herschel Sizemore (September 9, unknown cause, age 87): a member of the Bluegrass Cardinals as well as mandolin player with the likes of Del McCoury and Jimmy Martin.

Billy Smith (February 11, unknown cause, age 84): the drummer for the band the Casuals, who backed Brenda Lee in concert during the 60s.

Buddy Spurlock (September 21, unknown cause, age 81): banjo player who founded the groundbreaking “modern bluegrass” band the Bluegrass Alliance. 

Tim Stacy (January 15, unknown cause, age 68): bass player who worked and toured with the likes of Charlie Louvin and Hank Williams Jr. 

Bobbi Staff (Barbara Grindstaff Whitehurst) (November 2, dementia, age 77): mid-60s country singer with a contract to RCA, produced by Chet Atkins, with one hit, 1966’s “Chicken Feed.”  Her former husband, Jerry Whitehurst, also passed this year.

Saundra Steele (May 30, ovarian cancer, age 72): a Nashville demo singer who later went on to tour as a backup singer for the likes of Johnny Rodriguez, Ronnie Milsap, and George Jones.

Ed Stone (February 11, unknown cause, age 81): former Vice President of marketing and PR at the old Opryland USA theme park.

Carolyn Tate (March 3, unknown cause, age 65): former Vice President of the Country Music Hall of Fame from 2001 (the year of the new Hall of Fame’s opening) to 2018.

Big John Trimble (July 24, unknown cause, age 84): Country DJ Hall of Fame member who started his “All-Night Trucker Show” in Spokane, Washington before moving it to Shreveport, Richmond, and finally online.  His final broadcast was two days before his death.

Bil VornDick (July 5, cancer, age 72): a Belmont University school of music business graduate who went from recording demos for Loretta Lynn to being chief engineer at Marty Robbins’ studio.  His work as a producer and engineer with country, bluegrass, and roots musicians earned him nine Grammy awards.

Bill Walker (May 26, natural causes, age 96): “Good night, Bill Walker!” was how Johnny Cash ended his ABC show every week in tribute to his music arranger, who also worked for a who’s who of country greats from Reeves to Arnold to Robbins.

Janice Walker Wendell (January 13, cancer, age 79): the wife of E.W. “Bud” Wendell was a longtime board member of the CMA and marketing employee for Showbiz, the company behind the syndicated country TV shows in the 60s.

Sonny West (September 8, unknown cause, age 85): a member of Buddy Holly’s Crickets and co-writer of “Rave On” and Oh Boy.”

 

Joel Whitburn (June 14, illness, age 82): the guru of the music geeks, he turned a passion into the bible of reference books, the Billboard chart books.  He was so synonymous with the works that they are simply referred to as “Whitburns.”

Roland White (April 1, heart attack, age 83): Bluegrass Hall of Fame member who worked in the Kentucky Colonels, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and countless bluegrass and country performers.  He frequently held court at the Station Inn in Sunday night bluegrass jams as well.

Jerry Whitehurst (October 30, unknown cause, age 84): longtime session piano player in Nashville who also worked on Hee Haw and wrote the theme song to Nashville Now. His ex-wife, Bobbi Staff, also died in 2022.

Tom Wilkerson (April 7, unknown cause, age 86): longtime drummer who worked with the Opry Staff Band, played with Sonny James, Marty Robbins, and many others, and was the first country drummer to get an endorsement deal with Ludwig Drums.

Mary Jane Thomas Williams (March 22, complications from surgery, age 58): the wife of Hank Williams Jr.

George Winn (January 23, unknown cause, age 88): bluegrass mandolin player and leader of the Virginia Partners.

Frank Woodard (January 29, unknown cause, age 76): longtime director of security for the Grand Ole Opry House.

Scotty Wray (February 18, heart issues, age 64): the brother of country singer Collin Raye was also a member of The Wrays, who had charted singles in the 80s before Collin became a star on his own.  He later became Miranda Lambert’s guitarist.

Gregory Brian Wright (April 5, unknown cause, age 60): Sammy Keyshawn’s tour manager and sound engineer for 30 years.

George Yanok (April 29, lung cancer, age 83): Emmy-winning television writer whose credits included work on Hee Haw and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.

Shane Yellowbird (May 2, unknown cause, age 42): one of the few indigenous country singers, he had a top 5 country hit in Canada with “Pickup Truck.”

Leonard “L.T.” Zinn (February 3, natural causes, age 97): 2005 inductee into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame who recorded as part of the 101 Ranch Boys in the 30s and 40s.