’90s Country Hitmaker Jeff Carson Dies Of A Heart Attack At Age 58

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’90s country hitmaker Jeff Carson has died from a heart attack at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 58.

Born Jeffrey Lee Herndon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Carson began his musical journey singing in church. After forming a band in Rogers, Arkansas, he eventually moved to Branson, Missouri where he wrote songs and played locally before moving to Nashville. In Nashville he began recording demos and his voice caught the attention of Curb Records, who signed him in 1995.

He released several singles with Curb including “Yeah Buddy,” and “Not On Your Love,” which went to No. 1. Carson’s single, “The Car” became a top five hit and won him his first Academy of Country Music award for Video of the Year.

In 2009, Carson retired from music to become a law enforcement officer with the Franklin Police Department in Williamson County, Tennessee, where he remained on the force until his death. He returned to music in 2019 signing a singles deal with MC1 Nashville to re-cut and release a previously recorded song “God Save The World,” which charted on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio chart.

Carson had most recently signed with Encore Music Group and had been in the studio recording a specialty album to be released later this year that included duets with Michael Ray, Darryl Worley, Mark Wills, and Craig Morgan.

He is survived by wife Kim Cooper Carson, son Dayton Grei Herndon Carson, mother Virginia Norton, brother Steve Herndon, sister Karen Spurlock, as well as aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

A funeral service for Carson will be held on Saturday, April 2 at Brentwood Baptist Church at 10:00 a.m. A procession and police motorcade to a brief graveside service at Williamson Memorial for follow at 11:30 a.m.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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