In Memoriam: 15 Country Music Stars Who Died in 2024

2024 wasn’t gentle on the country music community, claiming some of the most lauded and beloved singers and songwriters in the genre’s history. From songwriting goliaths to cherished entertainers and instrumental businessmen, here are 15 people country music lost in 2024.

Jo-El Sonnier, 77

The son of French-speaking sharecroppers, Sonnier is a Louisiana native who died immediately after an encore. He had just sung his famous “Tear-Stained Letter” and  “Jambalaya” before he suffered a heart attack on January 13 in Texas.

Margo Smith, 84

Singer/songwriter Margo Smith, who notched a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s, died on January 23. She was 84 years old.

Smith was born Bette Lou Miller and was a kindergarten teacher in Ohio before coming to Nashville in the mid-70s to record “There I Said It” and “Paper Lovin.’” She signed a record deal with Warner Music and went on to have success with songs including “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You,” “It Only Hurts for a Little While” and “Little Things Mean a Lot.”

Toby Keith, 62

Toby Keith valiantly fought stomach cancer for two years before dying on February 5, weeks before the Country Music Association announced plans to induct him into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Keith’s biggest hits included “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “My List,” and “How Do You Like Me Now?”

Roni Stoneman, 85

Born Veronica Loretta Stoneman on May 5, 1938, Stoneman was a much-loved bluegrass artist, banjo player and comedian most known as a cast member on Hee Haw. She was Ernest V. “Pop” Stoneman’s youngest daughter, and the Stonemans were one of country music’s most famous family groups early in the genre’s history. She died on February 22, 2024.

Brit Turner, 57

Turner, a drummer, was a founding member of country-rock band Blackberry Smoke. He died from glioblastoma on Sunday, March 3.

Erv Woosley, George Strait’s manager, 80

Woosley wasn’t a singer, but after shepherding George Strait’s career for more than four decades, his impact on country music was profound. He died on March 20 after complications from a surgery.

Norah Lee Allen, 76

Allen was a regular backup singer on the Grand Ole Opry and was married to The Oak Ridge Boys’ Duane Allen for 54 years. She passed away surrounded by her family in the hospital after feeling unwell for an extended period of time.

She died on March 31.

Duane Eddy, 86

Eddy was an influential guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member who inspired the Ventures, the Shadows, the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, and Marty Stuart. He was also a producer and played guitar for artists including Waylon Jennings and B.J. Thomas.

He died on April 30.

Wayland Holyfield, 82

Holyfield is a prolific hit songwriter who penned over 40 Top 10 hits and 14 chart-toppers. George Strait, Don Williams, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty, Barbara Mandrell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, and more recorded his songs.

Holyfield died on May 6.

Joe Scaife, 68

Scaife was a Nashville native and hit producer who helped create country music staples, including Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman” and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart.”

He died on June 12.

Kinky Friedman, 79

Friedman was a country singer, author, and satirist who also ran to be governor of Texas. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease before he died in his sleep on June 27.

Joe Bonsall, 76

Bonsall sang tenor for The Oak Ridge Boys and spent decades as an on-stage dynamo for the group. He was the lead voice on The Oaks’ signature hit “Elvira.” Bonsall tried from the group and died approximately seven months later from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

J.D. Souther, 78

J.D. Souther was a prolific songwriter and artist most known for writing and touring with The Eagles. He wrote songs including “Best of My Love,” “Victim of Love,” “Heartache Tonight,” and “New Kid in Town. Southern died on September 17.

Kris Kristofferson, 88

Kristofferson was one of the most beloved artists of any generation. He was a singer, songwriter, and actor who starred alongside Barbara Streisand in the original “A Star Is Born.” He wrote hit songs, including “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.”

He died on September 28.

Mark James, 83

James wrote iconic hits, including “Always On My Mind,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” and “Suspicious Minds.”

He died at home on June 8.

(Photo by Gonzales Photo/ZUMA Press/Shutterstock (14747593v))