Prominent Nashville session vocalist Hurshel Wiginton has died at age 79.

As a member of The Nashville Edition, Wiginton sang on hundreds of hits in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s and was familiar to millions via the group’s long tenure on TV’s Hee Haw from 1969 to 1988.

Wiginton sang backup on records by a who’s-who of Nashville’s country recording artists, including Hank Williams Jr., George Jones, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Ronnie Milsap, Waylon Jennings, Eddy Arnold, Mel Street, Gary Stewart, Gene Watson, Johnny Cash, Hank Snow, Charlie Rich, Johnny Paycheck, Tom T. Hall and Merle Haggard. The Nashville Edition also backed such pop stars as Henry Mancini, Elvis Presley, Bobby Goldsboro, Nancy Sinatra, Dave Loggins, Tommy James and Bobby Vinton.

The group sang on more than 12,000 recordings during its heyday. Among the many hit titles where the vocal ensemble can be heard are Charley Pride’s “My Eyes Can Only See As Far As You,” Dottie West’s “Country Sunshine,” Marty Robbins’ “El Paso City,” Tanya Tucker’s “Delta Dawn,” Lynn Anderson’s “Rose Garden,” Freddie Hart’s “Easy Lovin,’” Barbara Mandrell’s “The Midnight Oil,” Melba Montgomery’s “No Charge,” Steve Young’s “Seven Bridges Road” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Hurshel Wiginton was The Nashville Edition’s bass singer. Group member Joe Babcock believed that Wiginton was the best bass vocalist in the music industry.

Wiginton was born Jan. 28, 1938 in Hamilton, Alabama. His earliest singing was at the Poplar Log Free Will Baptist Church, which was next door to his family’s home.

After his high school graduation, he made his way to Muscle Shoals, Alabama. One of the earliest hits he sang on was 1966’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” by soul singer Percy Sledge. Following a brief stint on the Memphis recording scene, Wiginton moved to Nashville.

He and Babcock became founding members of The Nashville Edition, along with Dolores Edgin and Ricki Page. The quartet stepped into the slot vacated by the mixed-voice backup group The Anita Kerr Singers, who had disbanded when leader Kerr departed Nashville.

By the mid-1970s, The Nashville Edition was performing on four recording sessions a day. The group won Superpicker Awards from the Nashville chapter of The Recording Academy in 1975, 1977 and 1978 due to its prominence on Music Row recordings.

The Nashville Edition was so successful with recording-session work that Wiginton had to persuade the others to take the Hee Haw television job. It turned out to be a long-running and lucrative sideline for the quartet.

Hurshel Wiginton died on Monday, March 6, following several years of declining health. His survivors include wife Doris, son Barry and daughters Jo Swafford, Anna Wiginton and Tina Goodrow, plus two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Also surviving are brothers James and Roger and sister Adgil Marie Lovett.

Arrangements are being handled by the Hamilton Funeral Home in Alabama. The funeral service will be conducted in the singer’s boyhood church, Poplar Log Baptist.

Ilene Berns

Ilene Berns, the force behind Bang Records and Web IV publishing, has died at age 73.

The label launched the career of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Paul Davis. The publishing company included iconic works by the executive’s late husband Bert Berns, as well as such Music City songwriters as Davis and Monty Holmes.

Bert Berns was the writer of the rock and soul standards “Twist and Shout,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Tell Him,” “Here Comes the Night,” “Cry to Me,” “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” “A Little Bit of Soap,” “I Want Candy,” “Cry Baby” and “Hang on Sloopy.” He formed Bang Records in 1965. The label made stars of Neil Diamond and Van Morrison, but Bert died of a heart attack in 1967 at age 38.

His widow Ilene Berns was a former model and dancer at The Peppermint Lounge in Manhattan. At age 24, she became the head of her husband’s fledgling enterprises. She soon became one of the most successful female independent label chiefs of all time.

She moved Bang Records to Atlanta in 1970. She rebuilt its catalog with the Paul Davis hits “I Go Crazy,” “Sweet Life,” “Ride ‘Em Cowboy” and “Do Right.” Others on the roster included Brick (“Dazz”), Derek (“Cinnamon”), Nigel Olsson and Peabo Bryson. She also hired future hit Nashville producers Ed Seay and James Stroud.

Bert Berns and Ilene Berns

She sold the label’s masters to CBS in 1979, but retained the company’s song-publishing firms Web IV Music and Sloopy II Music. During the early 1980s, she continued to operate Bang as a CBS imprint. She also bought several country and r&b radio stations.

Ilene Berns moved her businesses to Nashville in 1993. She pitched a country version of “Piece of My Heart” to Faith Hill, who had a No. 1 hit with it in 1994.

Bang II Records was located at 1707 Division Street. The label signed Miguel Salas as a country artist and charted three country singles by Monty Holmes in 1998 – “Why’d You Start Lookin’ So Good” (written by Paul Davis), “Alone” and “Leave My Mama Out of This.” The company also issued r&b records out of its Atlanta office.

Ilene Berns later promoted the 2014 Bert Berns biography Here Comes the Night, campaigned for her husband’s 2016 induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, appeared in the 2016 documentary film Bang: The Bert Berns Story and spearheaded the forthcoming Broadway musical Piece of My Heart.

Ilene Berns died on Monday, Feb. 20. Funeral arrangements are unknown at press time.

MusicRow sends its condolences to Kerri Edwards, owner/President of KP Entertainment (manager for Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell and more), in the loss of her father Mr. Billy Pauley over the weekend.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 4 p.m.-8 p.m., and on Friday, Jan. 27 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ, located at 5120 Franklin Pike in Nashville. A service will also be held on Friday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ.

Donations can be sent to Brentwood Hills Church of Christ c/o: Camp Leatherwood, 5120 Franklin Pike, Nashville TN 37220.