Services pending for singer-songwriter Cady Groves
Services are pending for Cady Groves, a versatile Oklahoma-raised singersongwriter who died May 2 in Brentwood, Tennessee, where she was living at the time. She was 30.
Her death appears to be from natural causes, pending a final coroner's report. Foul play and self-harm have both been ruled out by the coroner, according to a news release.
Known for her fierce and funny lyrics, she was born July 30, 1989, in Emporia, Kansas, according to her obituary. The youngest of seven siblings, her family moved to Marlow in 1993, and she also spent part of her growing years in Cache and Yukon. The family made a few other moves before landing in Laughlin, Nevada, where Groves graduated from high school, a year early, in 2006.
She explored her love of cooking by completing a culinary arts program at Mohave Valley Community College in Arizona in 2007. She later attended classes at Weatherford-based Southwestern Oklahoma State University, but left to pursue her passion for music.
The singer-songwriter initially built a loyal fan base showcasing her music on MySpace. Those efforts led her to self-release two EPs, 2009's “A Month Of Sundays” and 2010's “The Life Of A Pirate,” which in turn helped her land a record deal with RCA. She embarked on her first national tour, the 2010 "Bamboozle Road Show," alongside with the likes of Third Eye Blind, Good Charlotte and All Time Low.
Groves made her majorlabel debut in 2012 with the four-song EP "This Little Girl." The revenge-epic title track was accompanied by a music video boasting a cameo by country music star and fellow Oklahoman Blake Shelton. She worked on the project with producers and songwriters like Kristian Lundin, Carl Falk and Joshua “JC” Chasez.
Her other singles included "Love Actually," "Forget You" and "Oh Darling." She left RCA in 2014, according to Billboard. She signed with independent label Vel Records, where she released the single "Crying Game" in 2015, followed by the EP "Dreams" later that year.
Her most recent release was the 2017 single "Oil and Water." According to a Vel Records statement, Groves spent the last year working on material with the team from Shane McAnally's SMACKSongs and had recently signed with Thirty Tigers, with a summer 2020 release in the works. She was continuing to play shows for fans in Nashville as she made the transition from pop to country music.
"Those closest to Cady want people to know she loved music, laughter, cooking, tacos and, especially, her family," reads the statement.
"As her admirers mourn her loss online, Cady's family requests fans refrain from speculation. Cady was excited about her new recordings and getting out on the road to support them. It is hoped the EP she was slated to release this summer will be available soon."
Her brother, Cody Groves, posted on Twitter that she had experienced some medical problems last fall.
Groves is survived by her mother, Carol Ann Petitt and four siblings, Kevan, Cody, Kyle and Kelsy, plus half-siblings Courtney, Adam and Carrie. She was preceded in death by her brothers Casey Groves and Kelly Groves.
Her family will lay her to rest at an undisclosed time and location, according to her obituary. Services are pending due to the coronavirus pandemic and "will be scheduled when it becomes socially responsible to do so."
Her family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to the Music Health Alliance or MusiCares.