Pop Artist Owsley Passes
The Nashville pop-music artist billed as Owsley died Friday, April 30.
Owsley’s 1999 self-titled debut solo album on Giant Records was nominated for a Grammy Award in the engineering field. His second, self-released, CD was titled The Hard Way.
Earlier, he was in the Nashville pop-rock band The Semantics. Owsley was also noted as a guitarist for Shania Twain and Amy Grant.
His full name was Will Owsley, and he was originally from Anniston, Alabama.
According to The Tennessean, Owsley died of an apparent suicide. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Robert K. Oermann is a longtime contributor to MusicRow. He is a respected music critic, author and historian.
Latest posts by Robert K Oermann (see all)
- DISClaimer Single Reviews: Sheryl Crow Delivers ‘Dreamy Soundscape’ On New Ballad - September 17, 2026
- Video Director Jon Small Passes - September 14, 2026
- DISClaimer Single Reviews: The War And Treaty Showcase ‘Emotional Core’ - September 10, 2026
We are going to miss you Will – your amazing guitar playing and songwriting and infectious smile. It was too short a ride.
– Scott
“Have you ever lost someone so close to you a dearest son a mother a lover how about a stranger you barely knew, laughing when you were here now that you’re gone so many tears … someone once said some stars shine brighter than the sun … shine on shine on in the fields of evergreen.” Judson Spence