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Country Music Legends Who Bid Us Goodbye this 2020

by
  • Ryden is a Junior Country Music Journalist at Country Thang Daily, specializing in data analysis and trends within the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Ryden wrote for top music publications and interviewed icons like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson.
  • Ryden has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University, with a minor in Data Analytics.

One after the other, we’ve seen several country music stars and all-time greats bid farewell to all of us. From one of the groundbreaking stars of our generation like Charley Pride to the all-time favorites like Kenny Rogers, they will all be missed by everyone especially their fans.

Today, we remember all of the legends we lost in 2020 and their contributions throughout the years.

Charlie Daniels

A Grand Ole Opry Member and a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Daniels was known for being outspoken and his equal passion in fiddling and veteran organizations.

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Mac Davis

Who will ever forget the timeless hits “In The Ghetto” and “Texas in My Rear View Mirror” that Mac Davis has made known throughout his career? We were all captivated by the country crossover sound that Davis showed all of us as he bagged several awards including ACM’s Entertainer of the Year Award.

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Joe Diffie

Songs that got stuck in your head for a long time; this is what Joe Diffie has given us in his career. Songs like “Home” echoed through the list of country classics we all loved.

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Jan Howard

For 49 years, Howard made her mark as a solo artist, a duet partner, a songwriter, and a strong advocate for the armed forces. Howard was also known for her excellent storytelling that was evident in her songs.

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Hal Ketchum

For those who have been listening to country music since the ’90s, you probably heard that husky baritone voice that Hal Ketchum was blessed to have.

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K.T. Oslin

She stood for the woman of her generation and made sure everybody can hear where she is coming from. Oslin was a groundbreaking artist. If you have not heard a song from Oslin, just go and listen to her hits “’80s Ladies” or “Hold Me” to see what she want to tell you.

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Charley Pride

The first Black American to make a splash in the industry, Pride conquered everyone’s world with his warm personality and his true country voice. Pride was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and made all of the Opry listeners smile for 50+ years.

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John Prine

Nothing beats the songwriting prowess that John Prine has showed all of us. Prine’s legacy for writing the most perfect country and western songs will be remembered in history.

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Kenny Rogers

Of course, we all know Kenny Rogers. Aside from the commercial success that he gained, Rogers has also captivated our hearts. Whether he was singing about gamblers, dreamers, or young baseball players, we listened to his every word.

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We can’t also miss out on the legacy that Harold Reid, Billy Joe Shaver, Doug Supernaw, Jerry Jeff Walker, Johnny Bush, Bryan Wayne Galentine, Alex Harvey, Roy Head, Larry Johnson & Craig Martin, Troy Jones, Ramsey Kearney, Bill Mack, Felix McTeigue, David Olney, Fuzzy Owen, Ray Pennington, Glenn Ray, and Gary Walker.

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