Country music is noted for songs about heartbreak. No greater heartbreak can be known than the loss of a loved one, be it a family member or a friend. Here are ten songs that pay homage to deceased country music singers.
Go Rest High on That Mountain – Vince Gill (written by Vince Gill, 1994, album When Love Finds You)
Keith Whitley, owner of one of the purest country voices anyone had heard in years, was a central figure in the “neo-traditional” country movement in the mid-80s. When he died of alcohol poisoning in 1989, in many ways traditional country died with him. Gill was one of few performers who picked up the baton and ran with it, however, and in 1994 he penned this marvelous song for the man was “no stranger to the rain.” This song has since become a staple at country funerals: Gill performed it at Bill Monroe’s funeral.
Gone But Not Forgotten – Jesse McReynolds & Charles Whitstein (written by Jesse McReynolds, 2005, album A Tribute to Brother Duets)
Both men were half of brother duets (Jim and Jesse and the Whitstein Brothers, respectively) that were terminated by the deaths of a brother (Jim died of lung cancer in 2002; Robert Whitstein died of a heart attack in 2001). The two lifelong friends united for an album remembering the great brother teams in country music history, an album that begins with a touching look back at their personal losses.
Hank Williams’ Guitar – Freddie Hart (written by Freddie Hart & Eddie Dean, 1965, album Hart of the Country)
Hank Williams’ death at age 29 prompted a number of tributes. The one that stands above the others is this song, performed by Freddie Hart long before his success with “Easy Lovin'”, centered around hearing Williams’ songs in his head after seeing Williams’ guitar hanging in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
I Was With Red Foley (The Night He Passed Away) – Hank Williams Jr. (written by Hank Williams Jr., 1969, album Luke the Drifter Jr.)
The title may sound hokey, but this is included for two reasons. First, it shows that, long before he asked if you were ready for some football with his rowdy friends, Hank Williams Jr. did honest-to-goodness country music. Second, it’s a very sweet tribute to a country legend who was forgotten by many when he died of a heart attack in 1968 while on tour in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Hank Jr. recounts Foley’s last concert and final hours with love.
Ira – Charlie Louvin (written by Charlie Louvin, 2007, album Charlie Louvin)
In 1967 Charlie Louvin released a tribute album to his late brother and singing partner, Ira, titled I’ll Remember Always (the title chosen because the first letters of the three words spelled “Ira”). The title song was a memorial to Ira, who died in a 1965 car wreck. The true emotion of losing a brother, however, is much better conveyed in this song from Louvin’s 2007 release. Charlie’s voice, mangled with age, conveys the emotion of having lived such a long life without his brother, yet always having his memory. It is an amazing tribute.
The Jimmie Rodgers Blues – Elton Britt (written by Elton Britt & Vaughn Horton, 1968, album The Jimmie Rodgers Blues)
Jimmie Rodgers was the first superstar in country music (he is known as “the Father of Country Music”) and subsequently its first tragic figure due to his death at age 35 from tuberculosis. A number of songs have been performed dealing with his death, from Bradley Kincaid’s “The Death of Jimmie Rodgers” to Hank Snow’s “When Jimmie Rodgers Said Goodbye.” Those songs came shortly after Rodgers’ death in 1933, while Elton Britt’s tune was recorded a generation after Rodgers’ heyday. The lyrics use a number of Rodgers’ song titles to tell the story of “the Singing Brakeman” and is augmented by Britt’s masterful yodeling.
Lefty’s Gone – George Strait (written by Sanger D. Shafer, 1985, album Something Special)
Lefty Frizzell had one of the most distinctive voices in country music. In this tune, Strait recounts being one of the few people who braved “the cold October rain” at the Texas State Fair to see Frizzell perform. The hook line, “it’s not right, but Lefty’s gone,” is superb, too.
Sing “Blue Eyed Elaine” Again – Justin Tubb (written by Justin Tubb, 1985, album Justin Tubb)
Ernest Tubb was a legend in country music, and his son had considerable success as a singer (but more as a songwriter). After the elder Tubb’s death from emphysema in 1984, Justin penned this song, referencing his dad’s hit “Blue Eyed Elaine” and remembering that “it’s the only one that we ever sang together.
That Great Bluegrass Show – Blue Velvet (written by Wendy Smith, 1987, album That Great Bluegrass Show)
A buried gem by a regional bluegrass band that sadly doesn’t even exist anymore, this song is presented as a man who hears all the bluegrass and old-time country legends who have died, from Lester Flatt to Mother Maybelle Carter to Pee Wee Lambert, on his radio. This one is hard to find, but it is well worth the search.
Yesterday Once More – Moe Bandy (written by Jimmy Mundy & Peggy White, 1979, album Once More)
Bandy begins this song unashamedly stating, “I love to hear Hank Williams sing,” then names a number of country stars who have passed away. The lyrics are augmented by instrumentation that mimics a number of “signature riffs” associated with the artist mentioned.
