I am so very saddened by the death of my cousin Mickey Gilley. He and Jimmy Swaggert are like brothers to me. We are asking for prayers for his wife, Cindy and his entire family. I'm sad and praying. I loved him very much."
- Jerry Lee Lewis, cousin of Mickey Gilley and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member
(see Gilley and Lewis together on Pop Goes The Country: Click Here)

Country singer and actor Mickey Gilley, known for launching the Urban Cowboy movement in Country music and hit songs including "Stand By Me," "Room Full of Roses" and "Lonely Nights," died Saturday in Branson, Missouri.

Gilley was 86 and had just come off of the road, his favorite place, having played ten shows in April. He passed peacefully with his family and close friends by his side.

Sadly, Taylor Hawkins, drummer for the Foo Fighters, and seen here on May 4, 2019, as front man for Chevy Metal at the BeachLife Festival in Los Angeles, has died at the age of 50.

Country Music Hall of Fame member Ralph Emery has passed away at age 88. Emery was a legendary disc jockey and television host who rose to fame during the late-night hours on Nashville's WSM, where he hosted and allowed many new artists a chance to be heard for the first time. Throughout his career, Emery hosted Pop! Goes The Country, Nashville Now, Ralph Emery Live, Ralph Emery’s Memories, and more. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and in 2010, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Dallas Frazier has passed away at age 82. Frazier penned hits such as “Elvira,” “There Goes My Everything,” “Alley Oop” and more. Artists such as Jack Greene, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Diana Ross, Engelbert Humperdink, Brenda Lee, Willie Nelson, Gene Watson, Merle Haggard, Charlie Louvin, Rodney Crowell, Poco, George Jones, Connie Smith, Charley Pride, and more recorded his songs.

Fellow artists mourn the loss of their friend and share fond memories that have left them forever inspired by the timeless Dallas Frazier:

Country music legend Stonewall Jackson passed away early Saturday at age 89 after a prolonged battle with vascular dementia. Some of Jackson's hits included "Life To Go," penned by the late, great George Jones, "Smoke Along the Track," "B.J. the D.J.," and "Waterloo," which later became his signature song. Over his career, Stonewall landed 44 singles on the Billboard country chart. His 1971 Recorded Live at the Grand Ole Opry was the first "live" album ever recorded at Nashville's 'Mother Church of Country Music', the Ryman Auditorium.

Five-time Grammy award winner and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, B.J. Thomas, died today at home in Arlington, Texas at the age of 78 from complications due to stage four lung cancer.

Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than B.J. Thomas. With his smooth, rich voice and unerring song sense, Thomas’s expansive career crossed multiple genres, including country, pop, and gospel, earning him CMA, Dove, and Grammy awards and nominations since his emergence in the 1960s.

It is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Poco co-founder, Rusty Young, at the age of 75. Young suffered a heart attack last week. A beloved member of the Blue Élan Records family, Young was best known as the heart and soul of Poco - the band widely considered to be one of the founders of the classic Southern California country rock sound. Young was an integral member of the band throughout their influential six decade career.

Singer/songwriter Ed Bruce passed away Friday, January 8th at age 81. As a songwriter, artists such as Crystal Gayle (Restless), Charlie Louvin (See The Big Man Cry), Tommy Roe (Save Your Kisses), Tanya Tucker (Texas When I Die, The Man That Turned My Mama On), and Willie Nelson (Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys) are just a few who have recorded his songs. As an artist, Bruce’s hits include “The Last Cowboy Song”, “Love’s Found You And Me”, “Ever, Never Lovin’ You”, “After All”, “My First Taste Of Texas” and more.

Howard Johnson, veteran jazz musician, tuba innovator and founding member of the Saturday Night Live band, died at home in New York on Jan. 11, 2021, following a long illness, according to his longtime partner, Nancy Olewine.