Country music stars who died in 2025

The country music world has lost some iconic names in 2025.

As we head into the homestretch, we take a moment to look back at the country music stars and influential names that have been lost thus far this year.

Some of these folks fans may not have realized passed while some got plenty of time in the headlines.

Check out those names below as well as the major stars and names that we lost in 2024:

Eddie Adcock

Eddie Adcock’s name might not be the first that comes to mind when it comes to country music legends, but he was a legend in his own right.

Don’t believe it? Just Google him. You can find stories calling him a “legend,” and a “master” and there are plenty of other adjectives thrown in along the way, too.

Sadly, Adcock died on March 20. He was 86.

BlueGrassToday.com called him a “five string banjo master,” while noting that he has been “suffering from multiple health issues over recent years.”

Adcock was a native of Virginia, who began performing all the way back in 1949. He joined Smokey Graves 7 His Blue Star Boys in 1953, and he played with a handful of different bands. He may be best known, though, for his time playing in The Country Gentleman. In 1996, that group became the first inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame.

“Eddie was a truly innovative artist and musician with a one-of-a-kind voice on the banjo – & any instrument he picked up,” The Blue Grass Situation posted on X.

Ed Askew

Ed Askew, a cult folk music singer/songwriter and painter, died on Jan. 4.

He was 84.

PEOPLE Magazine reported that Askew had been battling “ongoing health struggles” and had been in hospice.

“Ed was a brave gay songwriter from the beginning, and I hope more come to know this,” Jay Pluck, Askew’s manager and friend, told PEOPLE. “Ed’s music changed the lives of people from many generations and continues to do so.”

Askew was a native of Stamford, Connecticut, and according to PEOPLE he studied paining at Yale Art School. The site said Askew was called up for the draft in 1966 but ended up teaching at a prep school in Connecticut instead. It said that is when he began writing his songs.

PEOPLE said Askew released 11 albums during his career. His first album “Ask The Unicorn” came in 1968 and his final, “London” came in 2020. PEOPLE said he also “had a prolific painting career.”

Larry Bastian

Larry Bastian was one of the greatest country music song writers of all-time.

Don’t believe it?

Well, the sentiment comes from a country music legend — Garth Brooks.

“If one looks down on the list of music’s greatest writers of all time,” Brooks said, per the Porterville Record, “I couldn’t imagine the list being complete without the name of Larry Bastian.”

Brooks would know because Bastian wrote some of his biggest hits — “Unanswered Prayers” and “Rodeo.”

Bastian died on Apil 6. He was 90. No cause of death was reported.

The Record was the first to report Bastian’s death, citing his son who shared the news on Facebook.

Bastian was born in Porterville in 1934, and after graduating high school there in 1952 he worked as a biologist for 15 years, according to Billboard.com. The site said got his career as a songwriter going into the 1970s, and a remarkable career ensued.

The Record reported that Bastian contributed to a whopping 68 platinum albums and four gold records.

He wrote songs for Merle Haggard and David Frizzell, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Tracy Byrd, Sammy Kershaw, Reba McEntire, Rhett Akins, George Jones and Craig Morgan, per Billboard.

But those songs for Brooks were, perhaps, his biggest. Along with “Rodeo,” and “Unanswered Prayers,” he also wrote “I’ve Got a Good Thing Going,” The Old Man’s Back in Town,” “Cowboy Bill,” “Nobody Gets Off in This Town,” and “Man Against the Machine,” for the legendary singer.

“There was no doubt in my mind that I could write a song,” he said in an interview with ‘The Paul Leslie Hour’ in 2020. “I think you have to be that driven to succeed, and then there’s a lot of luck. They have a saying, ‘You can’t get out of the way of a hit song,’ and that’s so right.”

David Briggs

David Briggs was never the face of the song, but he was always an important part of it.

And he worked with some of the greatest to ever do it.

Sadly, his work is done, though, because the talented musician, record producer, arranger, composer and studio owner, died on April 22.

He was 82.

“David Briggs could play keyboards in any style,” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young said. “For more than four decades, his deft touch graced countless country, R&B, rock, and pop recordings. He was eighteen years old when he played piano on Arthur Alexander’s epochal Muscle Shoals hit ‘You Better Move On.’

“Recruited by Nashville producer Owen Bradley, Briggs immediately became a studio fixture, enhancing records by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and many more,” Young added. “He further shaped Music City in co-founding Quadrafonic Studio and opening his own House of David studio. He was a man of music through and through.”

Briggs reportedly took part in his first recording session at the age of 14, and he went on to work with the likes of Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Reba McEntire, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Harrison, Charley Pride and many more.

He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019.

Carl Dean

Country music legend Dolly Parton announced the heartbreaking news on March 6 that her husband, Carl Dean, has died.

A posted statement to her X page, said that Dean, who was 82, died in Nashville.

“He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending,” the statement read. “He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie.”

Parton provided a quote in the statement.

“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” she said. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”

The statement said the family asks for privacy during this time.

Parton and Dean were known for keeping their relationship out of the public eye, and they did so on purpose.

“I married a really good man, a guy that’s completely different than me,” Parton told Parade Magazine in 2015. “He’s not in show business.”

Parade reported that the duo first met at a laundromat in Nashville when Parton was just 18-years-old.

“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” she wrote on her website, per Parade. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”

Parade said the two “snuck off one weekend” about two years later to get married.

They renewed their vows in 2015.

“We just had a simple little ceremony at our chapel at our place,” she told Rolling Stone.

Billy Earheart

Billy Earheart, a piano player and organist for the Amazing Rhythm Aces, has died.

He was 71.

Earheart’s obituary said he died on May 13 “after an extended struggle with cancer.”

The Tennessee native won a Grammy Award with the “Amazing Rhythm Aces” for Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group for “The End is Not in Sight (The Cowboy Tune).”

He also played piano for Hank Williams Jr.’s Bama Band for more than 20 years, and also reportedly played with artists such as Al Green, Waylon Jennings, BB King and more.

Earheart reportedly played on more than 200 albums.

“Billy loved music early and had one year of piano lessons as a child,” his obituary read. “The piano teacher wasn’t teaching the music he wanted to play, so he taught himself.”

The obit said Earheart played his first gig in 1966 and founded the “Amazing Rhythm Aces” in 1973. The group won its Grammy in 1977.

“While playing with the Aces, Billy got to travel the world, opening for such acts as Jimmy Buffet, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, and appeared on TV shows such as Saturday Night Live and Don Kishner’s Rock Concert,” his obit said.

His obituary also noted that he had “the perfect demeanor to serve as the big brother to three younger sisters.”

“In his later years, Billy often spoke about how precious his grandchildren (also known as ‘skunkingtons’ or ‘polecats of love’) were to him,” it read.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Katherine, a son and a daughter and many grandchildren.

Mac Gayden

Mac Gayden, a popular country and rock singer and a talented songwriter, died on April 16.

He was 83.

The New York Times reported that Gayden died on Wednesday at his home in Nashville due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.

The Times said that Gayden co-wrote the “pop evergreen” song “Everlasting Love,” and called him “an innovative guitarist who recorded with Bob Dylan.” It also credited him with helping Nashville become “a recording hub for artists working outside the bounds of country music.”

The publication also noted his work on “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” with Bob Dylan and “Blonde on Blonde.” It called the work his “most illustrious achievement” while pointing out that it strangely went “uncredited for decades.”

Gayden was a native of Nashville. His career began in the 1960s.

“Mac Gayden’s fingerprint was recognized at a time the world was becoming acutely aware of the blinding array, and virtuosity, of Nashville’s first-call cats,” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young said. “His sheer musicality was a dazzling force, and his spirit a gift to us all.”

Tony Haselden

Tony Haselden, who rose to fame as a rocker and then transitioned into a celebrated country music songwriter, died on May 16.

He was 79. A cause of death was not reported.

Haselden joined the rock group, LeRoux, in 1978 and reportedly played with the band right up until his death. He rose to fame with the group, writing hits such as “Nobody Said It Was Easy,” in 1978, too. When LeRoux went on hiatus in 1984, Haselden moved to Nashville and became a successful country music songwriter and producer, per Taste of Country.

Among the hits he wrote were, “That’s My Story (And I’m Stick’ To It)” by Collin Raye, “It Ain’t Nothin” by Keith Whitley, and “You Know Me Better Than That,” by George Strait.

Taste of Country said many more country stars such as Shania Twain, Reba McEntire, Billy Ray Cyrus, Doug Stone, Shelby Lynne, Shenandoah, Michelle Wright and Martinia McBride recorded songs written by Haselden as well.

He was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and the LMHOF Songwriters’ Association Hall of Fame in 2010, according to Taste of Country.

Flaco Jiménez

Flaco Jiménez died on July 31.

He was 86.

No cause of death was reported.

Jiménez was a six-time Grammy winner.

Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young was among those who remembered Jiménez.

“Flaco Jiménez was a paragon of conjunto music with his rich accordion playing,” Young wrote on X. “He drew us into a musical world they might not have otherwise discovered. ‘Street of Bakersfield’ by Dwight and Buck wouldn’t have been the same without his sparkling touches.”

Mark Laws

Mark Laws, the drummer for popular country music singer Alex Miller, was shot and killed on May 25 in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

Taste of Country reportedthat Laws’ stepson, Maxwell Madon, has been charged in his death.

Laws, 62, has worked as Miller’s drummer and band leader for the past five years, according to The Tennessean. The outlet said Laws also worked with Little Jimmy Dickens, Larry Cordle and Bill Carlilse.

Miller shared his thoughts on Instagram following Laws’ death.

“My heart is truly broke at the passing of my drummer Mark Laws,” Miller wrote. “My grandad once told me that you’ll have lots of friends in your life, but finding a (true) friend is something that is rare and special. My grandad was a true friend, and so was Mark Laws. His loss to me is devastating. Please pray for his family for me.”

WRIL-FM reported that Claiborne County Sheriff Bob Brooks said that Madon, who is 25, lived with his grandparents. Brooks said Madon got in an argument with his grandparents about cleaning his room and assaulted his grandfather. That is when, according to the sheriff, the grandmother called Laws to come to their home and help.

He told the site that Laws and Madon began arguing when he got there, and that a short time later Madon show and killed him. Brooks told the site that Madon also shot himself in the hand during the incident.

The site said he has been charged with criminal homicide and that more charges are expected to come.

Melba Montgomery

Country music legend Melba Montgomery has died, according to Taste of Country.

The site reported that Montgomery died on Jan. 15.

She was 86.

Her daughter, Melissa Solomon Barrett, posted about her death on Facebook, too.

“It is with great sadness that we announce our family has lost our mother, Melba Montgomery Solomon,” she wrote. “She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, sister to my uncle, sister-in-law to my aunts and aunt to my cousins. She fought a long battle with dementia but is now with her loving husband, Jack Solomon in Heaven. We know mom has been waiting to hold dad for over 10 years.

“Thank you for loving our mom as much as we have,” she added. “She was an incredibly talented, kind and generous woman.”

Taste of Country noted that Montgomery was known for her duets with the likes of George Jones and her No. 1 hit, “No Charge,” which came in 1974.

Montgomery was born in Tennessee in 1938, and she got her career going in 1958. She had 22 solo studio albums and was inducted into Nashville’s Walkway of the Stars in 1974.

George Jones’ daughter, Georgette, remembered Montgomery with a post on Facebook.

“Very sad news as yesterday the legendary Melba Montgomery passed away at age 86,” she wrote. “Melba recorded with my Dad many songs including ‘We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds.” She was an incredible singer and songwriter as well as a very sweet and wonderful person. Please join me in praying for her family and friends.”

Chad Morgan

Australian country music star Chad Morgan died on Jan. 1.

He was 91.

Morgan was called “The Sheik of Scrubby Creek.” Known for his vaudeville style, he was considered a pioneer of country music in his country.

Popculture.com said Morgan released more than 20 albums across a 70-year career.

Johnny Rodriguez

Country music legend Johnny Rodriguez died on May 9.

He was 73. No cause of death was reported.

Rodriguez reportedly died at home.

“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Johnny Rodriguez, who left us peacefully on May 9th, surrounded by family,” his daughter, Aubry Rodriguez, wrote on Facebook. “Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle, and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him.”

Rodriguez rose to fame in the 1970s and was one of the first Hispanic stars in the country music. A native of Texas, Rodriguez put together a list of hit songs including “Pass Me by (If You’re Only Passing Through) in 1973. He also had hits in “Ridin’ My Thump to Mexico,” “That’s the Way Love Goes,” I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My mind,” Just Get Up and Close the Door,” and “Love Put a Song in My Heart.”

Taste of Country noted that Rodriguez was nominated for CMA Male Vocalist of the Year and Single Record of the Year in 1973.

The site said that Rodriguez was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

Lulu Roman

Lulu Roman, one of the last surviving remaining members of the country music variety show “Hee Haw,” died on April 23.

She was 78.

Her son, Damon Roman, told The Hollywood Reporter that Roman died on Wednesday in Bellingham, Washington. He said she moved there

The site reported that Roman appeared on the first episode of “Hee Haw” in 1969 and on the last one in June of 1993.

Roman said she developed a drug problem in high school, but she turned her life around while starring on “Hee Haw” and became a gospel singer. She released a dozen albums across her singing career.

He big break came as she was performing in her comedy act, “Lulu Roman the World’s Biggest Go-Go Dancer.” She befriended country music star Buck Owens, who was going to star on “Hee Haw.”

“They needed one boy next door, one fat dumb man, one fat dumb woman,” Roman said in an interview last year per The Hollywood Reporter. “Buck said, ‘I got your girl! She’s in Dallas!’”

Roman left the show in 1971 after she was arrested for drug possession. The Hollywood Reporter said she said she used marijuana, speed, LSD and meth. The site said Roman converted to Christianity in 1973 and was rehired.

She released her first gospel album in 1974.

She was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

Jeannie Seely

Reba McEntire and Carly Pearce were among those who shared their heartbreak Friday following the news of country music legend Jeannie Seely’s death.

Seely, 85, died on Aug. 1 at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee due to complications from an intestinal infection.

“I’ve always loved this woman!” McEntire wrote on X while sharing a photo of herself with Dolly Parton and Seely. “She was a little spitfire, opinionated team player! Rest in peace, Jeannie.”

Reba McEntire and Carly Pearce were among those who shared their heartbreak Friday following the news of country music legend Jeannie Seely’s death.

Seely, 85, died on Friday at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee due to complications from an intestinal infection.

“I’ve always loved this woman!” McEntire wrote on X while sharing a photo of herself with Dolly Parton and Seely. “She was a little spitfire, opinionated team player! Rest in peace, Jeannie.”

Seely, a native of Titusville, Pennsylvania, revealed to People Magazine back in May that she had dealt with multiple health issues this year.

“Over the past several weeks, I’ve received so many wonderful messages of love and concern about being missed on the Grand Ole Opry and on ‘Sundays with Seely’ on Willie’s Roadhouse,” she told People then. “Thank you for those, and I assure you that I miss you just as much! Hopefully I can count on that support as I struggle through this recovery process from multiple back surgeries in March, as well as two emergency abdominal surgeries in April, followed by eleven days in the intensive care unit and a bout with pneumonia.”

Seely told People she was still focused on the future and even planned to release new music. She told the outlet she also planned to return to her SiriusXM show as well as the Grand Ole Opry stage.

“Rehab is pretty tough but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “And it was neon, so I knew it was mine!

“The unsinkable Seely is working her way back.”

Seely was also hospitalized last year for dehydration and diverticulitis while on a trip to Pa. And, her husband, Eugene Ward, died at the age of 92 in December.

Her love for the Grand Ole Opry began at a young age when her family would gather around the radio to listen to the shows on Saturday nights.

“I knew at 8 years old what I wanted to be,” she told People back in 2022. “And I knew I wanted to be at the Opry.”

“It is with a heavy heart we say goodbye to a true icon to us here at the Opry, Mrs. Jeannie Seely,” the Opry shared on X Friday. “Jeannie is the definition of a mentor and dear friend to many in the country music community. She fist appeared at the Opry in 1966 and while it was her first time being shoulder to shoulder with some of her heroes, she officially joined our family the next year in 1967 and has stood on that stage ever since with a special grace, sass, style, and of course — her wit and humor to top it all off.

“Having performed at the Grand Ole Opry mor than any other artists in history, 5,397 times to be exact, there’s no doubt this place was home to her,” the statement continued. “In her 57 years as an Opry member, she is recognized for changing the image of female country performers with her bold fashion statements, championed efforts to support and enhance women’s roles in the music industry and was quite proud to be the first female to host a segment of the Opry. Beyond the Opry, she became the third female artists to win a Grammy and penned chart-topping hits for herself and many others. She also regularly hosted ‘Sundays with Seely’ on Willie’s Roadhouse on Sirius XM.

“Your legacy will always live on here at the Opry House, ‘Miss Country Soul.’ We will miss you dearly.”

Buck White

Country music legend Buck White died on Jan. 13.

He was 94.

The news of his death was relayed from his four daughters by another country music legend, Ricky Skaggs, on his Facebook page.

“The Lord answered our prayers and took our daddy, Buck White, home peacefully this morning at 8:00 a.m.,” the message from the daughters — Sharon, Cheryl, Rosie and Melissa — read. “We are so thankful for his 94 years on this earth. He was a great dad who taught us by example to put Jesus first always. His great loves were the Lord, our mother, his family, and music. Most people will remember him not only for being a great musician and entertainer, but also for being fun-loving and full of mischief. He lived a full life and finished well.

White, along with his daughters Sharon and Cheryl, formed the Grammy Award-winning trio The Whites. Per Taste of Country, the group had several top 10 and Top 20 singles in the 1980s. The Whites were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1984, and in 2008 they were inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

According to Taste of Country, the group was nominated for five Grammys and won two.