Daryle Singletary suffers fatal heart attack at 46
His music will live forever in the hearts of his fans
Country music is mourning the loss of Daryle Singletary. The country singer was 46. He passed away early Monday morning, February 12, at his home in Lebanon, Tennessee outside of Nashville, after suffering a heart attack. He was one of the best pure country singers and had legions of fans around the world.
Singletary leaves behind his wife, Holly, and four children: 7-year-old twin boys Mercer and Jonah, 5-year-old daughter Nora Caroline and 3-year-old daughter Charlotte Rose. He is also survived by his parents, Roger and Anita Singletary; a brother, Kevin Singletary; a sister-inlaw, Melinda Singletary; his mother and father-in-law, Terry and Sandy Mercer; and a brother and sister-in-law, Tony and Kristy Rowland.
Singletary was best known for his hit songs ‘Too Much Fun,’ ‘I Let Her Lie,’ and ‘Amen Kind of Love’ and many more great songs that showcase his style of singing classic country music.
Daryle Singletary was born March 10, 1971 in Cairo, Georgia. His father, Roger Singletary, was a postal worker while his mother, Anita, was a hairdresser. He began his career as a Southern gospel singer and sited Ricky Skaggs, George Jones, and Keith Whitley as his musical influences.
While in high school, he began taking vocal classes. In 1990, he moved to Music City, Tennessee in pursuit of a record deal. In Nashville, he found work singing during open-mic nights at various venues, before finding work as a demo singer.
One of the demos that Singletary sang was ‘An Old Pair of Shoes,’ which Randy Travis eventually recorded. Travis recommended Singletary to his management team, who helped him sign to a recording contract with Giant Records.
Between 1995 and 1998, he recorded for Giant Records, for which he released three studio albums: Daryle Singletary in 1995, All Because of You in 1996, and Ain’t It the Truth in 1998. Singletary entered the top 40 of the Hot Country Songs charts five times, reaching number two with ‘I Let Her Lie’ and ‘Amen Kind of Love,’ and number four with ‘Too Much Fun.’
In 2000, Singletary switched to Audium Entertainment (a division of Koch Entertainment), where he released the albums Now and Again (2000) and That’s Why I Sing This Way (2002), both of which were largely composed of cover songs. A third album of covers, 2007’s Straight from the Heart, was issued on the independent Shanachie Records label. He returned to Koch (now renamed E1 Music) in 2010, to release Rockin’ in the Country.
On past albums, some of the greatest talents of country music lined up to sing with him including, the late George Jones and Johnny Paycheck, Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs, John Anderson, and Rhonda Vincent.
His musical integrity led him through years of celebrating the traditional country music style that he loved so much. Sadly, just like so many true country vocals he shared the stage with (Joe Diffie, Ken Mellons, Wayde Hayes, Mark Chesnutt, and Colin Raye) Daryle Singletary was underrated, lacking the appreciation, praise, and success he truly deserved.
His music will live forever in the hearts of his fans, remembering his great country voice and his faithfulness to his roots.
A first for Garth Brooks Now Garth Brooks can add his induction into the new Live Music Hall of Fame to his list of achievement. Brooks’ name was announced as the Hall of Fame’s inaugural recipient last week at the Pollstar Live Conference in Los Angeles.
Garth Brooks is the first ever inductee to the new Live Hall of Fame. Brooks said upon accepting his award before a packed ballroom that it was a total shock, that it was quite an honour. “I don’t think an entertainer is anything without other people who allow him to do this,” he said before thanking his comanager Bob Doyle and Ben Farrell, his longtime promoter. “They have made my career possible,” he said.
The honour comes on the heels of his record-setting, three-year tour in which he sold over 6.3 million tickets, making it the biggest North American tour and biggest ever by a solo artist.
Brooks, who returned to the road after a 16-year break to raise his kids, is also the first artist to receive seven RIAA Diamond awards for albums sales of over 10 million per album and the No. 1 selling US solo artist with over 148 million albums sold.
Indeed, Brooks’ groundbreaking approach to touring includes keeping ticket prices at one affordable price and adding shows (sometimes more than one a day!) from the road.
His record-setting tour ended with seven sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and which The Tennessean itself cited as cause for Music City’s own record-breaking tourism numbers.
Other recent accomplishments include Brooks in November winning his sixth CMA Entertainer of the Year honours (never before achieved), and in December his single, ‘Ask Me How I Know,’ becoming his 20th chart-topper.
The Live Music Hall of Fame wanted to create a place to honour artists who have made a huge impact on the live business. The artists who have gone out and touched tens of millions of fans will now be honoured.