Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

How Don Gibson and His Death Affected the Music Industry

Don Gibson Death
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

The death of Don Gibson is one of the saddest events in the country music scene, and we will always reflect on his legacy as one of the most gifted composers and country musicians of all time. His colleagues and fans give him the nickname “The Sad Poet” because he often penned songs about loneliness and lost love, just like his single “I Can’t Stop Loving you” and other Don Gibson songs.

Legacy of a Legend

Many of his singles have reached the top place in the country charts, and these songs have sold millions of copies worldwide. And as a great songwriter, Don Gibson has inherited these beautiful self-penned songs that many people of today can still relate to.

Because of his work, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973, and in 2001, he became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. All of this is to monumentalize his legacy as a music legend.

The Death of the Legend

Since the ’80s, Don Gibson slowed down in the music scene apart from occasional guesting and performances. And on November 17, 2003, Don Gibson, 75 years old, passed away at the Baptist Hospital in Nashville after fighting against a long-time illness, according to his friend Peggy Lamb. Before this, he had undergone an open-heart surgery in the early ’90s and several major surgeries in the following years. 

Don Gibson’s family buried his remains in the Sunset Cemetery in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina. His untimely death has shocked not only his family but also his fans all over the world. This unfortunate event puts the whole country music industry in mourning, paying respect to the legendary Don Gibson.

Latest Stories

Hayden Panettiere poses at an event in a black outfit as the coroner confirms her cause of death remains under investigation.

Coroner Says Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death Remains Pending After Autopsy

Hayden Panettiere’s official cause of death has not been determined. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy was completed the day after she was found unresponsive. The examination showed ...

Ella Langley poses in a white embroidered dress at the doorway of her tour bus during the Choosin Texas chart run.

Choosin’ Texas Is Still No. 1 on Billboard After 18 Weeks as Ella Langley Closes In on History

The song that started with a kangaroo story is still sitting at the top of the biggest chart in music. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” held No. 1 on the Billboard ...

Hayden Panettiere, beloved actress who starred as Juliette Barnes on the hit country music drama “Nashville,” has died at 36.

Hayden Panettiere Has Died at 36 and Country Music Lost the Woman Behind Juliette Barnes

She played a country star for six seasons. What most people forget is that she actually became one. Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. Her father, Skip ...

Ella Langley and Taylor Swift as Langley breaks Swift’s Billboard record with “Choosin’ Texas.”

Ella Langley Broke Taylor Swift’s Billboard Record and Has Now Held It Five Times Longer

Taylor Swift set the record in 2012 and held onto it for 13 years. Ella Langley didn’t just break it. She lapped it. “Choosin’ Texas” ruled the Billboard Hot 100 ...

Jon Pardi, wife Summer, and their two daughters together, before the couple's divorce announcement.

Jon Pardi and His Wife, Summer, Are Divorcing After Nearly Six Years and Two Daughters Together

One of country music’s most grounded couples is calling it quits. Jon Pardi and his wife, Summer, announced their divorce, confirming they’ve decided to part ways after nearly six years ...

Clint Black on stage, before the hospitalization that forced him to cancel his July 3 show.

Clint Black Canceled His July 3 Concert After Being Hospitalized, but He’s Expected to Fully Recover

The good news comes first. Clint Black is going to be just fine. The country icon was forced to cancel his July 3 appearance at Pearl River Resort Casino in ...

An emotional Rhett Akins on the Opry stage, finally getting his membership invitation.

Rhett Akins Finally Got His Grand Ole Opry Invitation After 30 Years and Could Barely Find the Words

A man who has written over 30 No. 1 hits for a living stood on the Grand Ole Opry stage Saturday night and couldn’t think of a single word to ...

Ella Langley performing live, marking "Choosin' Texas" returning to No. 1 for an 11th week and breaking a chart record that stood since 1977.

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” Is Back at No. 1 for an 11th Week and Broke a Record That Stood Since 1977

They kept knocking her off, and she kept coming back. Drake bumped her. Ariana Grande bumped her. Taylor Swift bumped her. And every single time, “Choosin’ Texas” climbed right back ...

Shania Twain commanding the Wembley stage in the daring look that divided fans.

Shania Twain Wore a Bold Outfit at Wembley and Fans Can’t Agree If It Was Too Much or Perfect

Shania Twain walked onto the Wembley Stadium stage in front of 90,000 people wearing a see-through black lace dress with a white bra and matching shorts underneath, and the internet ...

Miranda Lambert performing "The House That Built Me," the tearjerker that topped the charts back in 2010.

Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” Hit No. 1 Sixteen Years Ago and It Still Wrecks People

Sixteen years ago, a song that was never supposed to be Miranda Lambert’s gave her the first No. 1 of her career. And every Father’s Day, every homecoming, every time ...