{"id":20724,"date":"2019-12-26T22:01:17","date_gmt":"2019-12-27T05:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/?p=1815946"},"modified":"2019-12-26T22:01:17","modified_gmt":"2019-12-27T05:01:17","slug":"country-music-deaths-of-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/music-news\/country-music-deaths-of-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Country Music Deaths of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:ao:image:cmt.com:686620?width=1200&amp;height=675&amp;.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"byline\"> by <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/author\/morrise\/\" title=\"Posts by Edward Morris\" rel=\"author\">Edward Morris<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"date\"><br \/>\n20m ago<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span> <\/p>\n<p>Gone from Music Row this year are the instantly recognizable voices of Mac Wiseman and Earl Thomas Conley, the transformative guitar work of Harold Bradley and Reggie Young and the production wizardry of Fred Foster and busbee. Apart from their musical contributions, Bradley and Wiseman were also members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, as was Maxine Brown of the vocal trio, the Browns, who made her final exit as well. <\/p>\n<p>Here follows a list of those whose music we cherish and whose passing we mourn:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Harold Bradley<\/strong>, 93, one of the world\u2019s most recorded studio guitarists, a founder along with his brother, Owen Bradley, of Music Row\u2019s first recording studios, record producer, bandleader, former president of the Nashville Musicians Assn. union and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, who died Jan. 31 in Nashville.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wAmLgHEpmn0?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wAmLgHEpmn0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Maxine Brown<\/strong>, 87, songwriter, author and the last surviving member of the Browns vocal trio, which, in 1959, had the international crossover hit, \u201cThe Three Bells,\u201d Jan. 21 in Little Rock, AR. The Browns were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.<\/p>\n<p><strong>busbee<\/strong> (Michael James Ryan), 43, musician, producer and songwriter who worked with such country artists as Keith Urban, Maren Morris and Florida Georgia Line, Sept. 29, place of death not disclosed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jerry Carrigan<\/strong>, 75, first-call drummer and part of the \u201cNashville Cats,\u201d helped create the Muscle Shoals sound, recorded on \u201cThe Gambler,\u201d \u201cHe Stopped Loving Her Today,\u201d \u201cBehind Closed Doors,\u201d and countless others, June 22 in Chattanooga, TN.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keith Case<\/strong>, 79, talent manager and booking agent for such acoustic-based artists as Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley and John Hartford, Sept. 3 in Whites Creek, TN<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F5brltWEffg?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F5brltWEffg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Earl Thomas Conley<\/strong>, 77, singer and songwriter who co-wrote Conway Twitty\u2019s \u201cThis Time I\u2019ve Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me\u201d and whose hits as a recording artist included \u201cHolding Her and Loving You,\u201d \u201cNobody Falls Like a Fool\u201d and \u201cWhat I\u2019d Say,\u201d April 10 in Nashville.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fred Foster<\/strong>, 87, record label owner, music publisher and producer who fostered the careers of Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Larry Gatlin , Roy Orbison and others, Feb. 20 in Nashville. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Donnie Fritts<\/strong>, 76, songwriter and musician who served as Kris Kristofferson\u2019s long-time keyboardist, Aug. 27 in Birmingham, AL.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-6gEsMeQDPI?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-6gEsMeQDPI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Chuck Glaser<\/strong>, 83, the last surviving member of former Grand Ole Opry act Tompall &amp; the Glaser Brothers, whose hits included \u201cRings\u201d (1971) and \u201cLovin\u2019 Her Was Easier (Than Anything I\u2019ll Ever Do Again)\u201d (1981), June 10 in Lafayette, TN<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jim Glaser<\/strong>, 81, a member of Tompall &amp; the Glaser Brothers who established himself as a solo artist in the 1980s via such high-charting singles as \u201cYou\u2019re Gettin\u2019 to Me Again,\u201d \u201cThe Man in the Mirror\u201d and \u201cIf I Could Only Dance With You,\u201d April 6 in Murfreesboro, TN.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bonnie Guitar<\/strong> (Bonnie Buckingham), 95, recording artist, producer, studio musician and songwriter whose hits in the 1950s and \u201960s included \u201cDark Moon,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Living in Two Worlds\u201d and \u201cA Woman in Love,\u201d Jan. 13 in Soap Lake, WA.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jaidc41mgZo?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jaidc41mgZo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Bob Kingsley<\/strong>, 80, fabled radio personality, former host of <em>American Country Countdown<\/em> and later host of the widely-syndicated <em>Bob Kingsley\u2019s Country Top 40<\/em>, Oct. 17 in Weatherford, TX.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joe Mansfield<\/strong>, 77, record executive crucial in Garth Brooks\u2019 early success, Oct. 31 in Brentwood, TN.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Glenn Martin<\/strong>, 86, co-founder of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and composer of Charley Pride\u2019s \u201cIs Anybody Goin\u2019 to San Antone,\u201d Merle Haggard\u2019s \u201cIt\u2019s Not Love (But It\u2019s Not Bad) and \u201cIf We\u2019re Not Back In Love By Monday,\u201d and Tammy Wynette\u2019s \u201cI Still Believe in Fairy Tales,\u201d May 12, in Nashville, TN.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u0zCqq6UY7s?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u0zCqq6UY7s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Ralph Murphy<\/strong>, 75, producer, pop and country songwriter (\u201cHe Got You,\u201d \u201cHalf the Way\u201d) and former ASCAP executive, May 28, in Nashville.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leon Rausch<\/strong>, 91, former lead vocalist of Bob Wills\u2019 Texas Playboys, May 14 in Fort Worth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Billy Ray Reynolds<\/strong>, 79, composer of John Conlee\u2019s \u201cWorking Man,\u201d Tanya Tucker\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Believe My Heart Can Stand Another You,\u201d guitarist for Waylon Jennings, Nov. 29 in Olive, MS.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i0M3LS9n7Ns?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i0M3LS9n7Ns?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Steve Ripley<\/strong>, 69, producer, engineer and leader of the country-rock band, the Tractors, Jan. 3 in Pawnee, OK.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sanger D. \u201cWhitey\u201d Shafer<\/strong>, 84, member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and composer of such hits as \u201cThat\u2019s the Way Love Goes,\u201d \u201cAll My Ex\u2019s Live in Texas,\u201d \u201cDoes Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind,\u201d Jan. 12 in Ridgetop, TN.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Russell Smith<\/strong>, 70, singer, songwriter and co-founder of the Amazing Rhythm Aces and Run C&amp;W, July 12 in Franklin, TN.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pLz6nIvqB2c?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pLz6nIvqB2c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Micheal Smotherman<\/strong>, 71, musician, songwriter and online humorist whose hits included Earl Thomas Conley\u2019s \u201cToo Many Times\u201d and Kenny Rogers\u2019 \u201cTomb of the Unknown Love,\u201d Nov. 29 in Erick, OK.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joe Sun<\/strong> (James Joseph Paulson), 76, singer, musician, songwriter, former record promoter and the first to chart the now-classic \u201cOld Flames (Can\u2019t Hold a Candle to You)\u201d (1978), Oct. 25 in Palm Bay, FL.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nick Tosches<\/strong>, 69, music journalist and biographer of such acts as Dean Martin, Hall &amp; Oates and Jerry Lee Lewis, Oct. 20 in Manhattan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"> Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/82_0ui4taWI?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/82_0ui4taWI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\t<\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Mac Wiseman<\/strong>, 93, pop and bluegrass singer known as \u201cthe voice with a heart,\u201d a founder of the Country Music Association, early member of Lester Flatt &amp; Earl Scruggs\u2019 Foggy Mountain Boys and of Bill Monroe\u2019s Bluegrass Boys and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Feb. 24 in Nashville.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reggie Young<\/strong>, 82, guitarist who played on sessions for Elvis Presley, B.J. Thomas, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond and dozen of other hit artists, Jan. 17 in Leiper\u2019s Fork, TN.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><em>Pictured at top: Country Music Hall of Fame members Harold Bradley and Fred Foster<\/em> <\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n<div class=\"description\"> Edward Morris is a veteran of country music journalism. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a frequent contributor to CMT.com. <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/1815946\/country-music-deaths-of-2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: CMT News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Edward Morris 20m ago Gone from Music Row this year are the instantly recognizable voices of Mac Wiseman and Earl Thomas Conley, the transformative guitar work of Harold Bradley and Reggie Young and the production wizardry of Fred Foster and busbee. Apart from their musical contributions, Bradley and Wiseman were also members of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20724","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-music-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-15 04:19:05","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KRKY Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20724"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20724\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}