Legendary country music sensation Earl Thomas Conley, known for his hit songs including “Holding Her and Loving You” died on Wednesday morning in Nashville. He was 77 years old.
His brother Fred Conley confirms his death to The Tennessean, saying that the country crooner died at 12:20 in the early hours of Wednesday in Nashville. He had been in hospice care for several months and was suffering from a condition similar to dementia. Conley said that his brother just “kept losing ground” and that he was “brokenhearted.”
Further details regarding his death have not been announced yet.
Country superstar Blake Shelton also shared his heartbreak over the loss of a dear friend on an emotional social media post on Wednesday.
My heart is absolutely destroyed today… 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…
Shelton collaborated with Conley back in 2002 when they co-wrote the top 20 song entitled “All Over Me,” along with songwriter Michael Pyle.
Other stars also weighed in on his death. Singer T.G. Sheppard also expressed his deepest condolences over Conley’s death. He shared his sentiments over to Fox News.
“There are voices in our business that you recognize instantly from the first word they sing. Earl Thomas was one of those incredible voices. It’s truly a sad, sad day for country music. He was a kind and gentle man. I was honored to have worked shows with him and call him a friend.”
While Toby Keith shared his sentiments over on his social media platform.
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
Earl Thomas Conley’s Legacy
Conley has been in the business for years. He was a singer and a songwriter who had over 30 singles on Billboard Hot Country Songs Charts with 18 of those songs reaching number 1. The independently released “Fire and Smoke” was among the songs that propelled his career into a mainstream success. But, it was the ACM-nominated “Don’t Make It Easy for Me” album that set him on the map.
Conley was a three-time Male Vocalist of the Year nominee, but he didn’t win any ACMs or CMAs during his two-decade run in the spotlight.
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