Country singer Earl Thomas Conley, died at 12:20AM, Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Nashville, his brother Fred Conley has confirmed to the Tennessean.
Conley was known for hit songs including “Holding Her and Loving You,” “What I’d Say” and “Right From the Start.”
Blake Shelton posted news of his death on Wednesday.
My heart is absolutely destroyed today,” he writes. “I’m sad to report that Earl Thomas Conley passed away very early this morning. Earl was my all time favorite singer, hero and my friend. Prayers to his family. We will all miss you deeply my brother. Now go rest … “
The news was confirmed on an Earl Thomas Fan Club page and the official Conley Facebook page.
Conley was born in Portsmouth, Ohio. While first indulging in painting, Conley was introduced to music and during his time in the US Army, he began to sing.
Per Billboard, Conley had 18 No. 1 hits and started his commercial country music success in the late 1970s. He was also a three-time ACM Male Vocalist of the Year nominee, but didn’t win any ACMs or CMAs during his two decades in the spotlight.
Other stars took to social media to mourn the Country legend.
An all time great. Earl Thomas Conley passed away today. Huge influence on me. Loved him. Prayers to his family. -T
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) April 10, 2019
RIP Earl Thomas Conley... sad day for country music pic.twitter.com/bxgEIlbSJU
— ChrisYoungMusic (@ChrisYoungMusic) April 10, 2019
So sad to hear #EarlThomasConley passed away today. He was a huge influence on my style and songwriting. I studied his records like text books and could play every note of every song. Truly one of the all time greats in country music. #RipEarlThomasConleyhttps://t.co/IRwrhcPf2p
— John Rich (@johnrich) April 10, 2019
