Bill Friskics-Warren
Posts
Billy Edd Wheeler, Songwriter Who Celebrated Rural Life, Dies at 91
His plain-spoken songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers and many others. The duo of Johnny Cash and June Carter made his “Jackson” a...
Pete Wade, Guitarist on Countless Nashville Hits, Dies at 89
His clean tone and less-is-more approach made him a studio stalwart and a pioneer of what came to be known as the Nashville Sound.
Joe Bonsall, Tenor Voice of the Oak Ridge Boys, Dies at 76
His vocals on songs like “Elvira” were a key to the evolution of the group, originally a Southern gospel quartet, into perennial country hitmakers.
Buzz Cason, Songwriter Best Known for ‘Everlasting Love,’ Dies at 84
As a performer, he was a leading figure in the early days of Nashville rock ’n’ roll. He later found success as a writer, producer...
Frank Wakefield, Who Expanded the Mandolin’s Range, Dies at 89
A bluegrass innovator, he recorded numerous albums as a leader, and his list of collaborators included both Leonard Bernstein and Jerry Garcia.
Duane Eddy, Whose Twang Changed Rock ’n’ Roll, Dies at 86
A self-taught electric guitar virtuoso, he influenced a generation of musicians. One of them, John Fogerty, called him rock’s first guitar god.
Roni Stoneman, Country Music’s ‘First Lady of the Banjo,’ Dies at 85
A featured player on ‘Hee Haw’ and member of the famed Stoneman Family, she was the first woman to play modern bluegrass banjo on a...
Jimmy Van Eaton, Purveyor of the Sun Records Beat, Dies at 86
His drumming lent spontaneity and imagination to the unfettered sound of seminal rock ’n’ roll records by Jerry Lee Lewis and others.
Toby Keith, Popular Country Music Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 62
Mr. Keith, who announced in 2022 he had cancer, cultivated an in-your-face persona with hits like “Who’s Your Daddy” and “Courtesy of the Red, White...
Jo-El Sonnier, Who Sparked a Revival of Cajun Music, Dies at 77
An accordion virtuoso and a gifted vocalist, he scored country hits in the 1980s by putting a Cajun spin on songs like Richard Thompson’s “Tear-Stained...