The Academy Remembers

Laura Lynch, one of the founding members of Country group, The Chicks, died on December 22, 2023 after a devastating car crash in West Texas. She was 65. 

Lynch co-founded the band, then named the Dixie Chicks, in 1989 alongside Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Maguire, and Emily Strayer. Serving as the group's upright bassist and lead singer, Lynch recorded three albums – Thank Heavens for Dale Evans, Little Ol' Cowgirl, and Shouldn't a Told You That – before she departed and was replaced by current lead vocalist Natalie Maines. After leaving The Chicks, Lynch became a public relations officer at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. 

Though much of The Chicks' success in the mainstream came after Lynch's departure in 1995, the band went on to win several ACM Awards in the years following, including Entertainer of the Year (2000), Top Vocal Group (1998-2000), and more, while also becoming one of the most enduring all-female bands in the Country space. 

Bill Mayne devoted his career to Country radio, along with dedicating more than 35 years of service to the Academy of Country Music’s Board of Directors. Mayne studied radio, TV, and film at the University of Houston, and his interest in radio carried him to Austin, Texas, where he worked as a disc jockey and a program director for KNOW. Subsequent stops included KASE in Austin, KSCS/WBAP in Dallas, and KZLA/KLAC in Los Angeles. In 1988, he accepted a position at Warner Bros. Nashville working in promotion, then rose to become Senior Vice President and General Manager of the label. During this time Mayne worked with artists such as Holly Dunn, Faith Hill, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, and Dwight Yoakam. After that, he held an executive role at 903 Music, the label launched by Neal McCoy, prior to establishing his own firm, Mayne Street Consulting. 

In early 2010, Mayne’s company provided consultation to Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc., during a sensitive time for the Country Radio Seminar. Through Mayne’s leadership, CRS experienced a growth in attendance, sponsorship, and engagement. He had been part of the CRB’s Board of Directors when he accepted the role of Executive Director, a position he held from 2011 until his retirement in 2019. That same year, he marked his 50th anniversary of working in the music industry. Mayne has served as Chairman of the Board for the Academy of Country Music as well as ACM Lifting Lives, the Academy’s charitable partner, in addition to every other officer role.

On November 17, 2023, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Abe Stoklasa passed away at the age of 36. A beloved figure in the Nashville songwriting community, his catalog of hits includes Chris Lane’s “Fix,” Michael Ray’s “Get To You,” Lady A’s “Ocean," Ben Rector’s “Brand New” and others for the likes of Tim McGraw, Charlie Worsham, Scotty McCreery, and Blake Shelton. 

Hailing from Princeton, Missouri, his love for music spawned early on as he began playing in his father’s band at the age of 6 and joined several local bands throughout his childhood. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Nashville where Stoklasa set his sights on a career in the music industry. He enrolled in Belmont University's Music Business program, graduated in 2009 and became a touring musician for artists like David Nail and Billy Currington. 

In 2013, he retired from the road, focusing full-time on his songwriting and garnered several cuts in the years that followed. Stoklasa also heavily contributed to Lady A singer Charles Kelley's 2016 solo album, The Driver, co-writing the song, "Leaving Nashville" and others. 

Celebrated producer and music industry executive Jim Vienneau passed away on November 9, 2023. He was 97. 

Born in New York, Vienneau was the nephew of pioneering country producer Frank Walker, who co-founded MGM Records in 1946. Mentored by his uncle, Vienneau began working for the label in 1955, producing hits like Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe,” Connie Francis’ “Vacation,” Roy Orbison’s “Ride Away," Mark Dinning’s “Teen Angel," and more. After being transferred to MGM's Nashville office in 1965 to head its Country division, he kept busy producing blockbuster hits for Hank Williams Jr. (“Cajun Baby,” “Pride’s Not Hard to Swallow,” “I’ll Think of Something”), Mel Tillis (“I Ain’t Never,” “Sawmill,” “Memory Maker"), Jeannie C. Riley (“Give Myself a Party”), and several others. 

Following a brief stint at 20th Century Records, Vienneau joined Acuff-Rose Publishing where he worked with Lorrie Morgan, Aaron Tippin, and Kenny Chesney. He was named Billboard's Country Producer of the Year in 1972 and continued to serve as a producer up until his retirement in 1988. 

Beloved singer-songwriter Bill Rice passed away on October 28, 2023 at the age of 84. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1994, he penned a long list of hits for Charley Pride, Jerry Lee Lewis, Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Conway Twitty, and several others across his four-decades-long career. 

An Arkansas native, Rice first picked up a guitar at 14 and inked his first recording contract by 18. His first taste of success came in 1960 as icon Elvis Presley recorded Rice’s “Girl Next Door Went A’walking.” After making the move to Nashville and finding a songwriting partner in longtime collaborator Jerry Foster, Rice’s prevalence in the Country space was apparent as he charted hit after hit, including Mel Tillis' “Heaven Everyday,” Lewis’ “Think About It Darlin’,” Pride's “Wonder Could I Live There Anymore,” Johnny Paycheck’s “Someone to Give My Love To,” Hank Williams Jr.'s “I’ll Think Of Something,” and more. 

Though he did pursue his own career as an artist and landed a Top 40 hit with 1971’s “Travelin’ Minstrel Man,” most of his success was cemented in his songwriting. He notched 73 ASCAP Awards throughout his career, as well as two Grammy nominations for Jeannie C. Riley's "Back Side of Dallas" and Mickey Gilley's "Here Comes the Hurt Again." 

Buck Trent, master banjo player and guitarist died October 9, 2023. He was 85 years old. 

Born Charles William Trent in Spartanburg, SC, he was exposed to music at a young age, first picking up the guitar at the age of seven. From there he learned to play everything from the dobro to the mandolin, and notably the 5-string banjo.  

When Trent moved to Nashville in 1959, he joined the road show of Opry Member Bill Carlisle. He also played briefly with Bill Monroe before moving on to play with Porter Wagoner’s road show, which included Dolly Parton at the time. He would go on to play on all of the hit duets with Wagoner and Parton in addition to all of Parton’s solo recordings. In fact, the iconic guitar riffs in “Jolene” can be credited to Trent. 

After playing for the Porter Wagoner Show for 11 years, Trent eventually joined the cast of Hee Haw which he remained apart of for 19 years. Throughout his career he recorded 15 solo albums, played on albums for Parton, Wagoner, Roy Clark, Norma Jean, Nancy Sinatra, Mac Wiseman and many others.  

Mike Henderson, cofounder of the SteelDrivers, Country songwriter and multi-instrumentalist died September 22, 2023. He was 70 years old. 

Henderson hailed from Independence, Missouri, and it was there that he honed his skills and eventual mastery of guitar, fiddle, mandolin, Dobro, and harmonica.  

Upon moving to Nashville, he joined blues-rock group the Kingsnakes. The band would go on to be signed to Curb Records and Henderson signed a publishing deal with EMI. Henderson had cuts by artists including Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, The Chicks, Randy Travis, and Marty Stuart, and he played on records for artists including Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Tim McGraw, Bob Seger, Blake Shelton, and Sting. 

Ultimately it was his work with reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Chris Stapleton that would put Henderson on the map. Grammy winning song “Broken Halos,” a Stapleton-Henderson co-write was Stapleton’s first No. 1 on the Country airplay chart. Henderson was also nominated for three Grammys with The SteelDrivers from 2009-2011. 

Jimmy Buffett, the enduring entertainer who kept audiences singing along to “Margaritaville” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” September 1, 2023. He was 76. Buffett and duet partner Alan Jackson spent eight weeks at No. 1 at country radio with “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” ultimately collecting 2003 ACM trophies for Single and Vocal Event of the Year; the feel-good anthem also landed on the ACM ballot for Song of the Year and Video of the Year.

Born on December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Buffett was raised in Mobile, Alabama. He earned a degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi and served as a Nashville correspondent for Billboard magazine from 1969 to 1970. Although he’d done some recording in Nashville, he relocated to Key West, Florida, in 1972, and his original songwriting reflected his tropical lifestyle. First recording for Dunhill/ABC (and later ABC), Buffett charted six country singles in the 1970s, with “Margaritaville” rising to No. 13 in 1977. “Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitudes” climbed to No. 24 a few months later.

After moving to the MCA pop roster in the 1980s, he dented the country charts with songs like “If the Phone Doesn’t Ring, It’s Me.” A 1985 compilation titled Songs You Know by Heart sold more than seven million copies. However, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” cemented his stature in the country community. He recorded singles with guests Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, and George Strait (the ACM-nominated “Hey Good Lookin’,” 2004), Martina McBride (“Trip Around the Sun,” 2004), and Zac Brown Band (“Knee Deep,” a triple-platinum No. 1 hit in 2011). Buffett’s 2020 album, Life on the Flip Side, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart.

Robbie Robertson, a Canadian musician and songwriter, and leader of the influential rock group The Band died August 9, 2023. He was 80.

Born Jaime Royal Robertson on July 5, 1943, he was one of the last two surviving members of The Band, an influential rock band that mixed folk, gospel and jazz with rhythm and blues and helped forge a distinctly American kind of roots rock sound. Robertson played lead guitar and wrote some of The Band’s best-known songs, including “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” But it was Robertson's appearance in "The Last Waltz," a 1978 documentary about the group's farewell concert that was directed by Martin Scorsese, that made him a star. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest concert films ever made.

Robertson went on to produce scores and curated songs for Scorsese movies like "Raging Bull," "The Departed," "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "The Irishman." Shortly before he died, Robertson finished his 14th film music project with Scorsese called "Killers of the Flower Moon."

Chuck Flood, a renowned business manager who played a pivotal role in launching and supporting countless artists’ careers, died on July 21, 2023. He was 78. 

Born in Waco, Texas, Flood moved to Nashville after attending Baylor University. His career, which stretched four decades, included stops at Capitol and Warner Bros. Records working in the A&R and national promotional departments. In 1986, he founded Chuck Flood & Associates and later joined forces with Frank Bumstead, Mary Ann McCready, and John McCarthy forming today’s FBMM. Over the years, FBMM has elevated the careers of numerous A-list artists including Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban. 

Tony Bennett, the traditional pop artist and jazz vocalist whose voice epitomized the American Songbook, died on July 21, 2023. He was 96.

While the world knew him as Tony Bennett, a name given to him by Bob Hope, he was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926 in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, NY. His recordings – most of them made for Columbia Records, which signed him in 1950 – were characterized by ebullience, immense warmth, vocal clarity and emotional openness. Bennett hit the scene as a suave crooner and quickly established himself as one of radio's most popular hit-makers. He was a showman, with an intimate nightclub sensibility. He went on to make duet recordings with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Lady Gaga, who later became his biggest cheerleader and an ambassador to a legion of new fans. His professional career spanned eight decades, and he garnered a No. 1 album at age 85.

Music executive Jerry Bradley, the son of legendary Owen Bradley, died July 17, 2023. He was 83. A Nashville, Tennessee native, Bradley served two years in the U.S. Army, and soon after began working with his father and watching artists such as Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, and Webb Pierce record in the legendary “Bradley’s Barn” studio.

Bradley began working with Chet Atkins and would eventually go on to serve as the head of RCA Records in Nashville from 1973 to 1982. In this position, Bradley worked with a long list of Country greats including Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, Dolly Parton, and Charley Pride. He also played a pivotal role in the career of Elvis Presley, who released a series of CountryMusic songs such as “Moody Blue” and “Way Down.” Following his work on the label side, Bradley was named the head of the Opryland Music Group, where he would stay until his retirement in 2003.

In 1980, Bradley received an ACM Award nomination for “Album of the Year,” serving as a producer on Charley Pride’s album “There’s a Little Bit of Hank in Me.” Bradley was later inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019.  

Noted Bluegrass musician and co-founder of the Osborne Brothers, Bobby Osborne died June 27, 2023. He was 91. Osborne was born on December 7, 1931, in Hyden, Kentucky and spent a lifetime fascinated by Country Music. In fact, Osborne ultimately dropped out of high school to join his brother Sonny in the hopes that the newly formed Country duo could possibly find their way to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry…and oh how they did. 

The Osborne Brothers were eventually inducted into the legendary institution in August of 1964, after building a career on songs such as “Rocky Top,” “Once More” and “The Kind of Woman I Got.” Later in life, as a member of the Osborne Brothers, the mandolin maestro and Purple Heart recipient was inducted into the International Bluegrass Hall of Honor in 1994 and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Osborne also spent much time teaching at the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music.  

But thankfully, there was more music to come. Following his brother Sonny’s retirement in 2005, Bobby began working as a solo artist and received much acclaim for his 2017 solo album Original, which received his first solo GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album in 2018. He also enjoyed many years out on the road with his band the Rocky Top X-Press.

Jesse McReynolds, one half of iconic duo Jim & Jesse and the oldest standing Grand Ole Opry member, passed away on June 23, 2023 at the age of 93. Known for his combination of crosspicking and split-string mandolin playing, McReynolds and his brother Jim spent 50 years recording and performing as Jim & Jesse, becoming the longest lasting brother duo in Country Music history upon Jim's death in 2002. Since their debut in 1952 on Capitol Records, the pair produced several hit songs and fan-favorites, including “The Flame of Love,” “Gosh I Miss You All The Time,” “Cotton Mill Man,” “Diesel On My Tail,” “Are You Missing Me,” and “Paradise.” Jim & Jesse became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1964. Among their other honors, they were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1993 and received the National Heritage Fellowship Award in 1997. 

Renowned songwriter Cynthia Weil passed away on June 1, 2023 at the age of 82. Weil and her husband, Barry Mann, were the creative minds behind countless pop and Country standards, including "On Broadway" (The Drifters), "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Kenny Rogers & Dottie West), “Here You Come Again” (Dolly Parton), "Just Once" (James Ingram), “Walking in the Rain” (The Ronettes), “We’re Over” (Johnny Rodriguez), “Another Goodbye” (Donna Fargo), “Wrong Again” (Martina McBride), “Somewhere Down the Road’ (Barry Manilow), and the Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram hit, "Somewhere Out There," from An American Tail. An inductee in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Weil received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters, as well as the Johnny Mercer Award, the highest honor from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, among many other accolades. 

  

Longtime Grand Ole Opry staff photographer, Les Leverett, died on June 1, 2023 at the age of 96. Tallying 32 years as the Opry's official photographer, Leverett took countless iconic images of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Vince Gill, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe and other members of the golden age of Country Music. In addition to being the visual historian of the Grand Ole Opry, he also photographed over 200 album covers throughout his career, including Porter Wagoner's 1966 Confessions of a Broken Man, for which he was awarded a GRAMMY, as well as Dolly Parton's Bubbling Over, which won Country Album Cover of the Year at the 1973 Billboard Awards. In 1994, Leverett was honored with inclusion in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Walkway of Stars, and he received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2001. 

George Moffett, one of the entertainment industry’s most respected and beloved talent buyers, whose career spanned 55 years, passed away on May 14, 2023. He was 86. During his sophomore year at Muskingum College, he started to book local bands on the side at fraternity parties and social clubs. After graduating, he realized the need for a booking agency, which lead to the founding of Variety Attractions in 1961. Over the course of his career, he booked Country artists like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Alabama, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, and more. George also had a love for the circus world and booked animal and high wire acts at local and county fairs across the country. George was named the ACM Talent Buyer of the Year two times (1994 and 1995). He received honors from many state fair associations, including being inducted into the Ohio Fair Managers Hall of Fame. George was one of the founding members of the International Country Music Buyers Association in Nashville, along with his colleagues Don Romeo and Hap Peebles.  

Canadian folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot died on May 1, 2023 at the age of 84.  Lightfoot had success in success in folk, folk-rock and Country Music, and will be remembered as one of Canada’s greatest songwriters. Lightfoot’s career got its start when he recorded two singles at RCA in Nashville, both produced by Chet Atkins. The resulting songs,”(Remember Me) I’m the One” and “Negotiations / It’s Too Late, He Wins” went on to be huge hits in Toronto. In 1963, Lightfoot travelled in Europe and hosted BBC TV’s Country and Western Show, returning to Canada in 1964. 

As a writer, Lightfoot went on to get cuts with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Chad & Jeremy, George Hamilton IV, the Clancy Brothers and the Johnny Mann Singers. Established recording artists such as Marty Robbins, Leroy Van Dyke, and Judy Collins all achieved chart success with Lightfoot’s material.Throughout his career, Lightfoot was able to have success from his home in Canada without moving to any music mecca, though he often recorded in Nashville at Owen and Jerry Bradley’s Bradley’s Barn during the ’60s.

Claude Gray, known as “The Tall Texan” and the “Family Bible” singer, died April 28, 2023. He was 91. Originally from Henderson, Texas, Gray began his early adulthood serving in the U.S. Navy. It wasn’t until his late 20s, after landing a job as a radio announcer, that he began to pursue music. Signed by D Records, his Country Music career took off after he recorded hit “Family Bible.” The song, originally written by Willie Nelson, was sold to Paul Buskirk so Nelson could keep food on the table, but ironically Nelson credits its success as the impetus for him continuing to write songs and move to Nashville. Two years later, Gray was signed to Mercury Records and released his album Songs of Broken Love Affairs, which included hits “I’ll Just Have a Cup of Coffee (Then I’ll Go)” and “My Ears Should Burn (When Fools Are Talked About).” Gray continued releasing songs into the late 1960s, and into his older age, he remained active in the Country space, touring in the “Claude Gray Roadshow.”  

Barbara Ellen (Leuallen) Clarkson, 83, formerly of Nashville, TN and more recently of Stuarts Draft passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Barbara was an award winning song writer and play writer. Her most notable cuts were “I Am the Dreamer”, and “She Only Meant To Use You” by Conway Twitty along with “God Bless the Children” sung by Loretta Lynn, which all reached number one on the charts. Along with being musically gifted, she was a wonderful mother who enjoyed painting and singing.

Keith Gattis, a beloved singer, songwriter and producer passed away on April 23, 2023. He was 52 years old. The Texas-born songwriter began his musical journey playing in Austin before moving to Nashville. After signing with RCA in 1996, he released “Little Drops Of My Heart” off his debut self-titled album. In 2002 he became Dwight Yoakam’s band leader and played both electric guitar and bass on Yoakam’s album Blame the Vain. Gattis would go on to become an in-demand session guitarist, playing for Bruce Robinson, Sunny Sweeney, Jon Pardi, Brandy Clark, and many more. He would also find success in songwriting. His song “El Cerrito Place,” off his album Big City Blues was rerecorded by Charlie Robinson, and eventually would become a hit for Kenny Chesney. Gattis would go on to have songs cut by George Strait, Randy Travis, Randy Houser, Gary Allan, Jack Ingram and more. At his studio, Pioneertown Recording Studio, he produced for Jon Pardi, Jake Owen, and Waylon Payne, among others and was a co-producer of Randy Houser’s 2019 acclaimed album Magnolia.  

Ray Pillow, a longtime Grand Ole Opry member, died on March 26, 2023. He was 85. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Pillow earned a business degree and served in the Navy before launching his music career. When a strong showing in a talent contest earned him a guest slot on the Opry, Pillow set his sights on Country Music. Signing with Capitol Records, Pillow enjoyed a banner year in 1966 with a Top 10 duet with Jean Shepard (“I’ll Take the Dog”), an invitation to join the Opry cast, and new artist accolades from Billboard and Cashbox. Between 1965 and 1981, Pillow charted 18 singles. With Lee Greenwood’s manager Larry McFaden, Pillow co-founded Sycamore Valley Music Company, which published the 1984 classic, “God Bless the USA.

Bob “Norton” Thompson, the entrepreneur who opened the Nashville rehearsal studio Soundcheck died on March 24, 2023. He was 80. Following gigs as a roadie in the 1970s, Thompson signed on with the Eagles as a guitar tech for Glenn Frey, who became a lifelong friend and business partner. Thompson also worked on tours with the Bellamy Brothers, Jimmy Buffett, and others. In 1989, he and his wife co-founded Third Encore rehearsal studios near Los Angeles. After selling that company, Thompson and his family moved to Nashville and opened the Soundcheck facility in 1993, with Frey as co-owner. They sold Soundcheck in 2004 when Thompson retired. In 2020, Thompson published a memoir, Last Encore: My Time With Glenn Frey, The Eagles, And Other Hit Artists.  

Liz Thiels, a pioneering public relations executive who represented the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as numerous Country artists in the 1980s and 1990s, died on March 19, 2023. She was 78. The Louisiana native worked as a newspaper reporter and press secretary before moving to Nashville in 1969. Within two years, she’d become a partner and co-founder in the Nashville venue Exit/In. In 1979, Thiels co-founded Network Ink, considered Nashville’s first publicity firm to focus on music. She became sole owner in 1985 and mentored a generation of Country Music publicists. In 2001, Thiels closed the company to join the executive team of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, her longtime client. She retired as Senior Vice President in 2015.  

Michael Rhodes, a first-call studio musician who won 10 ACM Awards as a bassist, died on March 4, 2023. He was 69. Rhodes was born in Monroe, Louisiana, and taught himself to play guitar around age 11. After a period of time living in Memphis, Austin, and Los Angeles, he moved to Nashville, where his funky style and adaptability led to a job as a demo session player for Tree Publishing in the late 1970s.Producers soon sought him out for major label projects and he received his first of 17 ACM nominations as a bassist in 1987.Rhodes was named a Nashville Cat by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2015; he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019  

Kyle Jacobs, a talented Nashville songwriter and producer and the husband of Kellie Pickler passed away on February 17, 2023. In 2014 Jacobs won an ACM Award as producer of Lee Brice's "I Drive Your Truck." In addition, he was a co-writer on Garth Brooks' single "More Than a Memory," the first song to debut at Number One on Billboard's Country Singles chart in its history.

"These past few days have truly been some of the hardest of my life," Lee Brice, longtime friend of Kyle, said. "At times, I feel lost and buried under this deep sadness. Other times, I sit and remember all the times with Kyle that bring me comfort and make me smile. He was, without a doubt, one of the best people anyone could ever hope to have in their corner…I am eternally grateful for having him in mine. I’ll keep Kellie, his family and everyone who was touched by him close to my heart. I’ll miss you til we meet again..I love you, brother."

Burt Bacharach, a legendary pop songwriter who also composed two chart-topping Country hits, died on February 8, 2023. He was 94. Growing up in Queens, New York, Bacharach developed an ear for music through piano lessons, and later, by sneaking into jazz clubs. After serving in the Army, Bacharach placed “The Story of My Life” with Marty Robbins, who carried the Country single (co-written with Hal David) to No.1 for four weeks in 1958. In addition to writing classics for The Carpenters, B.J. Thomas, and Dionne Warwick, he returned to No. 1 on the Country chart in 1982 with Ronnie Milsap’s remake of “Any Day Now.” Other Bacharach classics include “I Say a Little Prayer,” “On My Own,” and “That’s What Friends Are For.”  

Pat Bunch, who co-wrote No. 1 hits for Ty Herndon, Faith Hill, and Restless Heart, died on January 30, 2023. She was 83. 

Peter McCann, an advocate and songwriter best remembered for “Right Time of the Night,” died on January 26, 2023. He was 74. McCann got his start in Los Angeles in the 1970s as a founder of folk-rock band The Repairs. After shifting his focus to songwriting, he secured a publishing deal with ABC and made an impact with “Right Time of the Night,” a 1977 pop hit recorded by Jennifer Warnes and produced by Jim Ed Brown. He charted his own pop hit in 1977 with “Do You Wanna Make Love.” McCann moved to Nashville in 1985 and placed cuts with Earl Thomas Conley, Janie Fricke, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, and many others. Often working with NSAI, he spent decades lobbying for songwriters in Washington.  

David Crosby, whose love of harmony and talent for songwriting helped usher in the folk-rock sound, died on January 18, 2023. He was 81. Crosby grew up in Southern California and became a cornerstone of the Laurel Canyon sound of the 1970s. Fascinated by the Everly Brothers’ vocal blend, Crosby brought a gift for singing harmony as a founding member of The Byrds; he also co-wrote one of their most beloved songs, “Eight Miles High.” After leaving the group, he co-founded Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their lush vocals and exquisite songs such as “Guinnevere” (another Crosby original) led to a Grammy win in 1970 for Best New Artist. In 2019, Crosby shared his life story in the Cameron Crowe documentary film, David Crosby: Remember My Name.  

Bruce Gowers, an award-winning director who worked with superstar artists in pop, rock, and Country Music, died on January 15, 2023. He was 82. Born and raised in England, Gowers may be best remembered for directing Queen’s 1975 landmark music video, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” although his career flourished for decades afterwards. Among his hundreds of credits, Gowers directed John Mellencamp’s iconic 1982 video, “Jack & Diane,” and won a Grammy in 1985 for Huey Lewis & The News’ longform video, “The Heart of Rock & Roll.” For multiple years, Gowers directed the Academy of Country Music Awards (2002-2004), the American Music Awards (2001, 2003) and the Billboard Music Awards (1996-2006). Starting in 2002, he directed the first nine seasons of American Idol, winning an Emmy in 2009.  

Stan Hitchcock, a television executive who guided the early years of CMT while balancing a career as a host and recording artist, died on January 4, 2023. He was 86. Hitchcock was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and started performing at 12 years old. While in the Navy, he formed a Country band; upon his discharge in 1958, he settled in Springfield, Missouri. Discovered by Red Foley, Hitchcock secured a contract with Epic Records. Although his singing career yielded modest results, he found a national audience through hosting two syndicated television shows. Hitchcock joined CMT in 1983, just as music videos were becoming prevalent. In addition to his interview series, Heart to Heart With Stan Hitchcock, he founded the Americana Television Network and BlueHighways TV.