Mickey Gilley recorded “Room Full of Roses,” a single that charted No. 1 on Billboard in 1974, the first of his 17 No. 1 hits before he passed away on May 7, at 86.
Born in Natchez, Miss. on March 9, 1936, Gilley began his music career in the 1950s.
By 1976, Gilley had been honored for “Best Album of the Year” according to Country Music Awards and a “Triple Crown” nominee in 1977. He is the only country music vocalist to have been nominated as a “Triple Crown” and go on to win only one time in each of the three categories.
Gilley’s in Pasadena, Texas helped push honky-tonk Texas cowboy music into the international spotlight, and Gilley became a national household name as both a country music singer and businessman. He was 86 when he died.
Jerry Lee Lewis, a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, had 30 singles reach Billboard Top 10 Country and Western’s Chart, 12 of which topped at No. 1.
Born in Ferriday, Louisiana on Sept. 29, 1935, Lewis began his career as a rock and roll sensation in the 1950s, but by 1968, he transitioned to country music.
From 1968 to 1981, he had 14 songs chart in the Billboard Top Ten, and he had 12 No. 1 hits during his career. He was the last surviving artist who recorded on Sun Records.
Luke Bell, a singer/songwriter, died at 32 from an accidental fentanyl dose.
Roland White, mandolinist for Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe died at 83.
Bill Fries who performed under the stage name of C.W. McCall, recorded a No. 1, “Convoy” in 1975. He passed away at 93.
Bruce Birch, an award-winning song writer who wrote for Faith Hill, George Jones and John Anderson, died at 69.
Scotty Raye, the brother of Collin Raye, passed away at 64. He was the lead guitarist for Miranda Lambert.
Staff drummer for the Grand Ole Opry, Jerry Crutchfield, died at 87. He was a songwriter and producer as well as a member of the Crutchfield Family.
Jimbeau Hinson, a self-taught pianist who Loretta Lynn discovered when he was 14 and invited to Nashville, wrote many hit songs for Patty Loveless, John Conlee, Reba McIntire, Tammy Wynette, Brenda Lee, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kathy Mattea and others. He was also an accomplished guitarist who passed away at 70.
Dallas Frazier was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1976, and he left behind the music industry in 1986, to become a preacher. He passed away at 82.
Mike Dekle, a prolific songwriter, wrote “Scarlet Fever,” a song that Kenny Rogers recorded in 1983. The song vaulted Dekle to fame as a songwriter when it topped at No. 1 on Billboard. Dekle was 77 at the time of his death.
Dallas Good, founder of the Sadies as a vocalist and guitarist, died at 48.
Dan Levine Einstein, an independent record producer who founded Oh Boy Records, won a Grammy. He passed away at 67.
Jerry Lee Herndon, a country music performer whose stage name was Jeff Carson, died at 58. He was signed by Curb Records, having performed in Branson on his way to Nashville.
Warner McPherson was born in Nashville in 1935, and he performed under the stage name, Warner Mack. Both a vocalist and songwriter, Mack enjoyed having 23 of his songs chart on Billboard from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Mack’s “Old Town Road” holds the record for the longest run at No. 1, 19 weeks. Only 40 songs have remained No. 1 for 10 weeks or longer.
The American Academy of Country Music inducted Mack as a member in 1991. He was 86 at the time of his death.
Brad Martin, a solo artist signed by Epic Records, made his debut in 2002 by releasing an album, “Wings of a Honky-Tonk Angel,” passed away at 48. “Before I Knew Better,” a single on the album charted on Billboard and topped at No. 15.
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