Celebrated Session & Touring Keyboardist Jimmy Nichols Passes

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Jimmy Nichols.

Jimmy Nichols, a gifted pianist known for his work with artists including Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Elton John and countless others, has passed away.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Nichols was one of eight children in a close-knit family that shaped his love of music from an early age. Alongside three of his brothers, he spent 24 years touring the country as a member of the Nichols Brothers. Two weeks before his passing, Nichols was inducted into the Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, his work extended beyond country music into pop, gospel and television.

Nichols is survived by his beloved wife, Tonya, who he spent the last few years caring for through a difficult illness.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sept. 2 at Ray Stevens’ CabaRay Showroom. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the celebration starting at 6:30 p.m.

Songwriter Joe Melson Passes

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Joe Melson

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Joe Melson has died at age 91.

Melson is best known for his 1960s collaborations with Nashville pop star Roy Orbison (1936-1988), including standards such as “Blue Bayou,” “Crying,” “Only the Lonely” and “Running Scared.”

Claudie Joe Melson was raised in Bonham, Texas, northeast of Fort Worth. By the time of his teen years in the early 1950s, he was singing professionally and writing songs. He went to work in the mailroom at Standard Oil while studying accounting at Odessa Junior College. In the evenings, he entertained youngsters at dances and nightclubs with his rockabilly band, The Cavaliers. The group’s crowd-pleasing “Raindrops” became Melson’s debut single.

In 1957, he met fellow Texan Orbison, and the two began cowriting songs. They first came out with “Only the Lonely.” This 1960 smash launched Orbison’s hit-making career and is regarded as the first operatic rock song. It was also recorded by Kitty Wells, Floyd Cramer and Jack Greene. In 1969, Sonny James had a No. 1 country hit with “Only the Lonely.” It has since been revived by Glen Campbell (1973) and Chris Isaac (1996), among others.

The Orbison/Melson team followed that song with the 1960 singles “Blue Angel” and “I’m Hurtin.’” In early 1961, the throbbing-crescendo ballad “Running Scared” became their first No. 1 pop smash. Over the years, “Running Scared” has also been recorded by Del Shannon, The Lettermen, Glen Campbell and Jeff Lynne.

The 1961 Orbison/Melson hit “Crying” became an even more familiar tune. More than a dozen other stars have had success with this song, including Bobby Vinton, Waylon Jennings, Dottie West, B.J. Thomas, Pat Benatar, Lynn Anderson, Deana Carter and Clay Aiken. Jay & The Americans revived “Crying” on the pop charts in 1966, while Arlene Harden (1970), Ronnie Milsap (1976) and Stephanie Winslow (1980) brought it onto the country hit parade. In 1981, Don McLean’s version of “Crying” became a substantial hit on the pop, A/C, country and British charts. Orbison and K.D. lang performed it as a duet in 1987 and won a Grammy Award.

Melson and Orbison’s “Blue Bayou” was a top 30 pop hit in 1963. Linda Ronstadt revived it as a massive international pop smash in 1977. The Cox Family, Wayne Newton, Ed Bruce, Raul Malo, Billie Jo Spears, Norah Jones and Harry Dean Stanton are among the many others who have recorded “Blue Bayou.”

Other Orbison/Melson collaborations included “The Crowd,” “Up Town,” “Barbara,” “I’m in a Blue Blue Mood,” “Lookin’ for Love,” “(I Get So) Sentimental,” “The Actress” and “Come Back to Me (My Love).” Roy Orbison was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Another of Joe Melson’s songwriting collaborators was Don Gant. They co-wrote “Run, Baby, Run (Back Into My Arms),” which was a big pop hit in 1965 for The Newbeats. The Gant/Melson team also co-wrote Orbison’s 1967 single “Cry Softly Lonely One.”

Melson and Glenn Barber co-wrote the latter’s 1972 country hit “I’m the Man on Susie’s Mind.” Melson was also behind Barber’s 1979 favorite “Love Songs Just for You,” plus Barber’s 1972 hit “Unexpected Goodbye.”

Don Gibson scored a top 30 country hit with Melson’s cowritten “Ever Changing Mind” in 1969. Others who have recorded Melson’s songs include Del Reeves, Bob Luman, Bobby Vee, The Crickets, Conway Twitty, The Velvets, and Danny Davis.

The songwriter also maintained a recording career. Melson issued singles on Hickory Records in 1960-63. The best known of these is “Hey Mr. Cupid.” He continued to record for other labels in 1964, 1965, 1971, 1979, and beyond. Melson sang and/or arranged the inventive background vocals on all of the hits he wrote with Orbison The two also recorded vocal duets.

He and Orbison resumed their songwriting partnership in 1971-75.

Melson remained engaged in music throughout the succeeding decades. He issued singles as recently as 2014. He also continued to perform. Over the years, he entertained at rockabilly-revival and nostalgia festivals. He was a familiar figure on the music scene in Hendersonville.

“Only the Lonely” went into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and “Crying” joined it in 2002. Also in 2002, Melson was inducted into the International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame, located in Jackson, Tennessee. He was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

Melson reportedly wrote songs right up to the weeks before his passing on July 1 in Music City.

He is survived by his sister, Katie Bethel, his children, Michael Melson, Michelle Byerly, Melodie Garner, and Serena Aaker; grandchildren, Sabrina Molina and Aden Aaker; great-grandchildren, Heidi Mollinary and Bianca Molina and many extended family members and friends. Melson’s final arrangements were entrusted to the Hendersonville Memory Gardens, Funeral Home and Cremation Center.

The Melson family honored Joe’s wishes by not holding a memorial service. However, Joe asked that the following message be shared: “Dad loves you all. Don’t cry for me. Remember me when I was alive.”

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family invites those who wish to honor his memory to make a donation at donate.jw.org.

Canadian Country Legend Tommy Hunter Passes

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Tommy Hunter

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member Tommy Hunter died on Thursday (July 2) at age 89.

Known as “Canada’s Country Gentleman,” he was the host of a legendary, long-lasting national TV show. Hunter’s country TV career was launched in 1956 on CBC’s Country Hoedown, where he was a cast member. He was given his own program in 1965.

The Tommy Hunter Show became one of the most enduring music programs in North American television history. The show aired weekly on CBC for 27 years, 1965–1992, and was later carried in the U.S. by TNN. Over the years, it showcased top Canadian country acts — Carroll Baker, Rita MacNeil, Hank Snow, Michelle Wright, Shania Twain and the like — as well as Nashville stars such as Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and many others.

Hunter was noted for classy presentation of country music (no barns, hay bales, or corn stalks). The crooner charted in the U.S. with the ballad “Mary in the Morning” on Columbia in 1967.

After his TV show ended, Hunter remained a top concert attraction into the 1990s and 2000s. He retired from touring on his 75th birthday in 2012.

During his long career, he won three Juno Awards and one Gemini Award, as well as induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. He was appointed to both the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. Hunter was also honored via a Canada postage stamp.

Hunter is survived by his three children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Funeral arrangements and details regarding a public memorial will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the London Ontario Humane Society or to an animal rescue organization of the donor’s choice.

Music Industry Veteran Clive Davis Passes At 94

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Clive Davis.

Clive Davis passed away today (June 22) at his home in Manhattan. He was 94.

A Brooklyn, New York native, Davis graduated from Harvard Law School in 1956 and began as an in-house lawyer at Columbia Records a few years later. He rose to President of the company in 1967.

In 1974, he took charge of the Bell label and renamed it Arista, signing artists including Patti Smith, the Kinks, Lou Reed, Gil Scott-Heron and Aretha Franklin. In 1983, he signed Whitney Houston, who he championed for the rest of her career. He co-founded Arista Nashville in 1989 with Tim DuBois, which became the home to Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Pam Tillis and Brad Paisley among many others.

In 2000, he founded J Records, which launched the careers of Alicia Keys and Maroon 5.

Also in 2000, Davis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a nonperformer. In 2002, he endowed the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, an undergraduate music industry program at N.Y.U.’s Tisch School of the Arts with a $5 million donation. Davis was well known for his annual Grammy Awards parties, which he began 1976. The events were often attended by A-list musicians, politicians and more.

Davis is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his partner, Greg Schriefer.

“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives,” his family shared in a statement. “He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations. To his family, Clive was Dad and Granddaddy, the steady presence at the center of our lives, the source of wisdom, strength, encouragement, and unconditional love. No matter how extraordinary his professional accomplishments, he never lost sight of what mattered most: the people he loved. Through every chapter of his remarkable life, family remained Clive’s greatest pride and deepest joy. Today, we celebrate not only a towering figure whose influence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness. We will miss him greatly, cherish him always, and carry his love with us for the rest of our lives.”

Hit Producer & DRUMATIZED Founder Tay Keith Passes

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Tay Keith

Grammy-nominated producer and DRUMATIZED Founder Tay Keith passed away today (June 18) at his Nashville home. He was 29.

Known for his hard-hitting trap beats, Keith earned 11 top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and produced four No. 1 hits, including Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter.” He also holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this decade, with six. He is a two-time Grammy nominee and three-time BMI Producer of the Year.

Beyond hip-hop, Keith expanded into country music and worked to build opportunities for artists in Nashville. He founded DRUMATIZED, a label and creative space that supported both hip-hop and country musicians. The studio became the second Black-owned recording studio in Nashville and hosted private music camps for artists such as Walker Hayes, Lalo Guzman, Reyna Roberts and David J, among others. He has also worked with Kane Brown, ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman, among others.

Born Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, Keith was born and raised in south Memphis, Tennessee. Around age 14, Keith started making music and sharing it on YouTube and DatPiff. Using a piano at home, he created original beats and remade popular songs, including Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop.”

After moving to East Memphis, Keith met rapper BlocBoy JB. The two quickly connected and began making music together, starting a partnership that would help shape both of their careers.

In December 2018, Keith graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, celebrated his first No. 1 hit with “Sicko Mode,” and earned his first Grammy nomination. He also remained committed to helping other artists succeed, playing a key role in the careers of Memphis rappers like BlocBoy JB and Black Youngsta. In 2018, he produced BlocBoy JB’s biggest hit, “Look Alive,” featuring Drake, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced the Memphis rapper to a much larger audience.

In the early 2020s, he helped launch Sexyy Red into the spotlight by producing her breakout hit “Pound Town,” a song that helped turn her from a rising local artist into a major name in hip-hop.

Keith’s signature sound, which included booming drums and powerful bass, made his productions stand out. His work on songs like Eminem’s “Not Alike” and Lil Baby and Gunna’s “Never Recover” gave artists the energy and impact they were looking for while helping bring Memphis’ influence back to mainstream rap.

Additional credits also include BlocBoy JB’s “Rover” (later remixed to “Rover 2.0” featuring 21 Savage), and “Shoot,” Drake’s “Nonstop,” Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go,” Aitch’s “Rain,” featuring AJ Tracey and many more.

“He wasn’t impressed by his success, and if he had an ego, he never showed it,” says Beverly Keel, Dean of the MTSU Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment. “He was confident in his work, but there was no arrogance. (I once asked him if he was nervous sending a song to Beyonce, and he simply said no.) He was focused on building an empire, supporting and building others’ careers along the way. He hired several MTSU students as interns.”

Funeral services have not been announced.

Industry Veteran Robert ‘Bob’ Fred Whittaker Passes

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Bob Whittaker.

Robert “Bob” Fred Whittaker passed away on June 5. He was 85.

Whittaker was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 10, 1941. He spent his early years in Baxter, Tennessee, where he returned later in life.

Whittaker spent a majority of his career with Opryland USA before serving as General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry for the final nine years before his retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Jean Whittaker, three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The family held a funeral service earlier this month. Memorial messages can be shared here.

BREAKING: WSM’s Bill Cody Passes

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Bill Cody. Photo: Grand Ole Opry, by Chris Hollo

WSM announcer Bill Cody passed away on June 9. He was 67.

Cody’s distinctive voice has resonated across international airwaves for more than five decades. For over 30 years, he served as host of WSM Radio’s flagship morning program, Coffee, Country & Cody, and became especially renowned for his longtime role as announcer and host of the Grand Ole Opry.

Inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 2008, Cody has earned multiple nominations from the CMA, ACM and Billboard. In 2024, he was honored with a star on the Music City Walk of Fame Park. He will also be posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame later this year.

A native of Lebanon, Kentucky, Cody grew up as a preacher’s son and was introduced to radio at an early age. He often accompanied his father to the local radio station to exchange tapes of Sunday worship services for broadcast. Those visits provided an early look inside the world of radio and led to opportunities to spend time at the station, where he learned more about the day-to-day work of broadcasting.

In 1971, he began his professional radio career at WLBN in his hometown of Lebanon. Six years later, he joined WVLK in Lexington, Kentucky, as an on-air personality at 17 years old. At WVLK is where his boss requested he drop his birth name, Trent Clutts, and adopted the name Bill Cody, inspired by his one of his childhood heroes, “Buffalo Bill” Cody. After two years there, he moved to WHAS in Louisville, continuing to build his career in broadcasting.

In 1985, he returned to country radio as a morning personality at WCII in Louisville before relocating to Orlando, Florida, to work with WHOO-FM. Two years later, he joined KKYX-AM in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1994, Cody moved to Nashville to join WSM Radio, beginning a chapter that would define much of his distinguished career. Joining WSM on April 25, 1994, with inaugural guest Charlie Daniels. He also eventually developed the series on the Circle Network.

Beyond radio, Cody’s work has spanned television, syndication, voice-over and film. His credits include American Saturday Night: Live from the Grand Ole Opry, GAC-TV’s Master Series, the television specials Tennessee’s Wildside and Ray Stevens’ Nashville, and appearances on The Nashville Network. He has also been heard on Bill Cody’s Classic Country Weekend, Pure American Country, Nashville Record Review, Country’s Most Wanted, programming for the Country Music Hall of Fame, Music City Walk of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium, as well as Willie’s Roadhouse on SiriusXM and United Airlines’ in-flight country music programming.

Cody married his high school sweetheart, Rebecca. The couple has three children and resided in Cross Plains, TN.

In the days ahead, WSM will honor Cody with a special marathon of moments from Coffee, Country & Cody. Saturday’s (June 13) Grand Ole Opry will be dedicated to Cody.

The Grand Ole Opry House will host visitation and funeral services honoring the life of Cody on Monday (June 15). Visitation will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. followed by a funeral service at 2:00 p.m. in the Opry House auditorium. Doors open at 1:00 p.m. Family, friends, colleagues and fans are welcome.

Nashville’s Dr. Hook Rock Singer, Dennis Locorriere, Passes

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Dennis Locorriere, the lead singer of the rock band Dr. Hook, has died at age 76.

He was the vocalist on a decade-long string of 1970s pop hits for the group, including “Sylvia’s Mother,” “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman,” “Sexy Eyes” and “Sharing the Night Together.” Locorriere was also a Nashville ad-jingle vocalist, a record promoter, a respected songwriter, a popular Nashville nightclub headliner and a solo recording artist.

The group was formed in 1968 as Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, a rowdy, New Jersey bar band. Locorriere was the lead singer, but Ray Sawyer (1937-2018) became its visual focus, wearing his trademark eye patch and leading the on-stage shenanigans.

Ron Haffkine (1938-2023) discovered the act and became its manager, producer and what he self-billed as its “musical director.” He arranged for the group to perform music for and appear in the 1970 Dustin Hoffman film Who Is Harry Kellerman. In 1971, Dr, Hook & The Medicine Show auditioned live in the Columbia Records office in New York, with Locorriere leading the band and Sawyer dancing on label chief Clive Davis’ desk.

Columbia issued the group’s debut LP in 1972. Shel Silverstein (1930-1999), another Haffkine management client, wrote all of the album’s songs, including “Sylvia’s Mother.” Locorriere’s plaintive/wry vocal propelled the song into the pop top-10. Later that year, the LP Sloppy Seconds yielded the Silverstein-penned “The Cover of Rolling Stone.” This was the act’s only big hit sung by Sawyer. It led to a Rolling Stone magazine cover story in 1973.

The band toured relentlessly, doing 300+ shows a year. But its carefree attitude about finances led a bankruptcy filing in 1974. The group shortened its name to Dr. Hook in 1975, signed with Capitol Records and issued the LP Bankrupt. It contained Locorriere’s Gold-selling revival of the Sam Cookie oldie “Only Sixteen,” which returned the band to the pop top-10 and became its first country-charting single. The singer also scored with “A Little Bit More” from this same collection.

Dennis Locorriere wrote/co-wrote the band’s next two successes, “A Couple More Years” and “If Not You” in 1976. The latter became Dr. Hook’s sole top-30 country single. The following year, its revival of the jug-band ditty “Walk Right In” became a No. 1 smash in Australia.

In 1977, Locorriere and the band moved to Nashville, which had long been their recording home. This coincided with its longest string of pop hits. Recorded in a style that would now be termed “yacht rock,” they included “Sharing the Night. Together” (1978), “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” (1979), “Better Love Next Time” (1979) and “Sexy Eyes” (1980). These were written by top Music Row tunesmiths. Locorriere co-wrote “Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk” (1982), the band’s last top-30 pop hit. All of these titles were recorded in Nashville and/or Muscle Shoals.

Although the hits of this era solidified their stardom, neither Locorriere nor Sawyer liked them. They remained Southern-flavored roots rockers at heart. Ray Sawyer quit the group in 1983. Locorriere kept the band going and acquired the Dr. Hook brand.

During its heyday, Dr. Hook released 11 albums and sold an estimated 50 million records. It remains one of the biggest pop/rock acts to hail from Music City.

The group retired in 1985. Locorriere remained active in the Nashville music community. He briefly worked as a country record promoter, sang backup vocals on albums by Randy Travis and others, and worked as a studio ad-jingle singer. His expressive, sandpapery voice warbled the praises of McDonald’s, Coors Light, Long John Silvers, Ruffles Potato Chips and other national products.

He also continued to write. Locorriere’s songs have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Crystal Gayle, BJ Thomas, Helen Reddy, Willie Nelson, Southside Johnny, Olivia Newton-John and Jerry Lee Lewis. Locorriere released three solo albums, Out of the Dark (2000), One of the Lucky Ones (2005) and Post Cool (2010). He also issued three concert DVDs.

In 1989, he acted in the Lincoln Center production of Silverstein’s play The Devil And Billy Markham, garnering universally positive reviews. Dr. Hook always had a large international following, with hits in Australia, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, the U.K., Holland, Ireland and South Africa. Locorriere toured overseas, performing both newly written songs and Dr. Hook classics. He moved to the U.K. in 2002.

Locorriere repeatedly sued Ray Sawyer for using “Dr. Hook” to promote Sawyer’s bookings. Ron Haffkine was sued by his business partner, Bobby Heller. Legal tangles over song-publishing deals and master recordings further dogged Locorriere. In 2002, The Tennessean’s headline read, “Dr. Hook: Band’s Legacy Shattered.”

The singer persevered. In 2008, Dennis Locorriere toured the United Kingdom as a member of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings. He assembled a new Dr. Hook band to tour in celebration of the group’s 50th anniversary. In 2021-22 he led the revived Dr. Hook to concerts in Scandinavia and the British Isles. He retired in 2025.

Dennis Locorriere had been battling kidney disease in recent years. He passed away in West Sussex, England on May 16. He is survived by his wife Claire Anne, by son Jessejames Locorriere, an actor, and by daughter, Lily Locorriere. Funeral arrangements are unknown.

Country Outlaw David Allan Coe Dies At 86

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David Allan Coe. Photo: Matthew Woitunski via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Talented country star David Allan Coe has died at age 86.

The charismatic performer was known for recording such hits as “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile”, “The Ride”, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name”, “She Used to Love Me a Lot”, and “Longhaired Redneck.” He notched 63 singles on the Billboard charts.

Coe was a talented songwriter, with artists including Johnny Cash, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, The Oak Ridge Boys and many more recording his songs. His biggest hits as a songwriter were “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone),” recorded by Tanya Tucker, and Johnny Paycheck’s iconic rendition of “Take This Job and Shove It,” which later inspired a movie of the same name.

Coe often spurred controversy with lyrics, with frequent profanities, tales of drug use and sexually explicit material. His rebellious attitude and image garnered him the title of the ‘outlaw’s outlaw.’

Coe was born in Akron, Ohio on Sept. 6, 1939. As a boy, he was sent to the Starr Commonwealth For Boys reform school. Coe would spend the next 20 years in correctional facilities, including three years at the Ohio Penitentiary.

After ending a prison term in 1967, Coe moved to Nashville where he reportedly lived in a hearse which he parked in front of the Ryman Auditorium. While street performing, he caught the attention of the owner of the independent record label Plantation Records, Shelby Singleton, who signed him.

In 1970 Coe released his debut album Penitentiary Blues. In 1971 he signed to Pete and Rose Drake’s publishing company Windows Publishing Company, and when Tanya Tucker’s recording of his “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)” went to the top of the charts, Coe was signed to Columbia Records. He cut his own version of the song for his second Columbia album, Once Upon a Rhyme, released in 1975.

Once Upon A Rhyme also contained Coe’s biggest hit, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” written by John Prine and Steve Goodman.

His third album, The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy, was named for the rhinestones suit and a Lone Ranger mask he wore to perform.

Coe would go on to release a handful of more albums throughout the ’70s, including Longhaired Redneck (1976), Human Emotions (1978), Family Album (1978), Compass Point (1979) and Spectrum VII (1979).

In 1980 Coe enlisted producer Billy Sherrill for I’ve Got Something to Say, which included featured vocals from Guy Clark, Bill Anderson, Dickey Betts (of The Allman Brothers Band), Kris Kristofferson, Larry Jon Wilson, and George Jones.

Coe’s 1983 album Castles in the Sand would prove to be a mainstream success for Coe, peaking at No. 8 on the country albums chart. Its success was spurred on by “The Ride,” which spent 19 weeks on the Billboard country singles charts, reaching a peak of No. 4. The song tells the story of a hitchhiker’s encounter with the ghost of Hank Williams, Sr. in a ride from Montgomery, Alabama to Nashville.

1984’s Just Divorced contains Coe’s second biggest chart hit, “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile”, which rose to No. 2 on the Billboard country singles chart.

Coe’s 1986 album Son of the South featured contributions from fellow country outlaws Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Jessie Colter. His final album for Columbia, a concept album A Matter of Life…and Death, was released in 1987.

Throughout the 1990s, Coe toured throughout the United States and Europe. In 1990 he reissued his independent albums Nothing Sacred and Underground Album on CD, as well as the compilation 18 X-Rated Hits–which were very controversial for racist, misogynist and homophobic lyrics.

In 2003, Coe wrote a song for Kid Rock, “Single Father,” which appeared on Kid Rock’s self-titled album, and was released as a single. He released Rebel Meets Rebel, with Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, and Rex Brown, in 2006, two years after Darrell’s murder.

Coe is survived by his son Tyler Mahan Coe, who created the country music podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones and the podcast Your Favorite Band Sucks. He is also survived by his daughter, Shelli Coe Mackie. He is preceded in death by his son-in-law, the late Michael Mackie, formerly of Texas band Thunderosa.

Crossroads Music Co-Founder Mickey Gamble Passes

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Mickey Gamble

Crossroads Music Co-Founder and leader Mickey Gamble has passed away.

Under Gamble’s leadership, Crossroads and its associated labels, Horizon Records, Sonlite Records, Mountain Home Music Company and Organic Records, grew from beginnings as an acclaimed Asheville recording operation (Hear Here! Studios) and a Southern Gospel label (Horizon Music Group) to become one of bluegrass and Southern Gospel music’s preeminent issuers.

With a roster that has ranged from traditional Gospel quartets and bluegrass bands through contemporary masters and innovative new groups, Crossroads reflects Gamble’s vision of a larger musical family, rooted in his beloved western North Carolina home. His tireless advocacy for professionalism, his insistence on sound, honest business practices, relentless drive to be informed about, to understand and adapt to developments in the recording industry, and unbounded enthusiasm for the music being made by Crossroads artists earned him the respect, admiration and affection of those with whom he worked to a degree that is rare in any field.

Gamble was a recipient of the Southern Gospel Music Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2019.

“My dad loved music – and its makers – more than anyone else I’ve ever encountered,” says Gamble’s daughter Francesca Dooris. “He was a champion of the arts, of many other forms in addition to music, because of each unique human being behind the creation of a piece. The ubiquitous theme from everyone I’ve spoken with during this time is that he saw the distinctive set of characteristics a person had to give to the world, and pushed him or her to trust that part of themselves relentlessly. He believed in the gift that was the essence of a person, even if they couldn’t see it or hadn’t developed it.

“The music community was truly family to my dad, and he loved each of you in a completely one-of-a-kind way,” she continues. “If he could say one thing to everyone now, it would be that the music must go on. Keep writing. Keep creating. Keep being you and making your art, whatever form it takes.”

No arrangements have been announced at this time.