Country Music's Greatest Tragedies

Alphabetical Listing

• Billy Walker
• Cowboy Copas
• Don Rich
• Dottie West
• Faron Young
• Gary Stewart
• Hank Williams
• Hawkshaw Hawkins
• Jack Anglin
• James Widener 
• Jim Reeves
• Johnny Horton
• Keith Whitley
• Mel Street
• Stringbean 

Anglin, Jack ~5/13/1916 -- 3/8/1963: Jack began his music career with his brothers. In 1939, he joined Johnnie Wright and as a duo, they became 'Johnnie and Jack', who had success performing on the Grand Ole Opry, recording and touring. He was killed at age 46, in an auto accident while on the way to Patsy Cline's funeral. Driving alone not far from his home, he rounded a bend in Madison, Tennessee at a high speed and died in the ensuing crash.

Cline, Patsy, Copas, Cowboy, Hawkins, Hawkshaw, Hughes, Randy

Cline, Patsy (9/8/1932 - 3/5/1963), Copas, Cowboy (7/15/1913 - 3/5/1963), Hawkins, Hawkshaw (12/22/1921 - 3/5/1963) and Randy Hughes perished in a plane crash on 3/5/1963. Hughes was Cline's manager and pilot of the plane. They were returning to Nashville, after performing at a benefit show in Kansas City, Kansas, for the family of a disc jockey, Cactus Jack Call, who had recently died in an automobile accident. After stopping to refuel in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the plane took off at 6:07 p.m.

The airfield manager suggested that they stay the night after advising of high winds and inclement weather on the flight path, but Hughes brushed off his suggestion. The plane flew into severe weather, however and according to Cline's wristwatch, crashed at 6:20 p.m. in a forest outside of Camden, Tennessee. Cline was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973.

Horton, Johnny ~ In1960, Johnny was getting premonitions of an early death. Speaking to Merle Kilgore, he said that the spirits had told him he was going die within a week. Johnny thought it would be a drunk in a bar at one of the gigs he was going to play. To the outside world, Horton seemed have it all: good looks, charm, a great singing voice and incredible athletic talent. His appeared to be a charmed life. But Horton's premonitions of death grew stronger the more popular he became with audiences. He cancelled an appearance at the premiere of the movie 'North to Alaska' and tried to get out of his gig at the Skyline Club, but to no avail. Johnny was booked into the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas on November 4, 1960.

He stayed in his dressing room at the Skyline, convinced a drunk would kill him if he went back to the bar. After two sets, he started the 220 mile drive back to Shreveport, Louisiana. He was headed to a lake in Southern Louisiana for the start of the duck hunting season.

With bass player Tommy Tomlinson in the back seat and manager Tillman Franks in the front, they set off for Shreveport. Tillman noted Horton was driving too fast, but that was not unusual. Horton always drove fast, as if propelling along his own prophecy. As they approached the Little River Bridge on Highway 79, near Cameron, Texas, James Evan Davis was driving a pick-up truck that smashed head-on into Horton's car. Davis' pick-up bounced off both sides of the bridge before plowing into Horton's vehicle. Both Franks and Tomlinson were taken to a hospital in Cameron.  Horton was alive when ambulances arrived on the scene but died en route to the hospital. Franks suffered head injuries and Tomlinson suffered multiple leg fractures that eventually led to the amputation of his leg. Davis, who was not injured, was charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Reeves, Jim (Aug. 20, 1923 ~ Jul. 31, 1964): On July 31, 1964, Reeves and his manager Dean Manuel left Arkansas en route to Nashville in a single-engine aircraft, with Reeves at the controls. While flying over Brentwood, Tennessee, they encountered a violent thunderstorm. The plane faded from radar screens and radio contact was lost. On the morning of August 2, 1964, the bodies of Reeves and Manuel were found in the wreckage.

Thousands turned out to pay their last respects at his funeral. The coffin, draped in flowers from fans, was driven through the streets of Nashville and then to Reeves' final resting place near Carthage, Texas where the 39-year-old singer once roamed the red hills of East Texas. Jim was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967.

Rich, Don  (8/15/1941 -- 7/17/1974): Rich helped develop the Bakersfield sound in the early 1960s. Rich was Buck Owens' lead guitarist, harmonizer and fiddle player, and leader of Owens' back-up band the Buckaroos. On July 17, 1974, after an evening in the studio, Don rode his motorcycle toward Morro Bay, California, where he planned to join his wife Marlene and their two sons, Vic and Vance, on a fishing trip. Don never made it to Morro Bay. Somewhere near San Luis Obispo he crashed his motorcycle.

Stewart, Gary (5/28/1944 -- 12/16/2003): Gary's only number 1 was "She's Acting Single." On November 26, 2003, Gary's wife of nearly forty-three years, Mary Lou, died of pneumonia. His friends later told reporters that he was extremely despondent after her death. On December 16, his daughter's boyfriend and Stewart's friend, Bill Hardman visited Stewart's Fort Pierce, Florida, home to check on his welfare. They found Stewart dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck.

Street, Mel (Oct. 21, 1933 - Oct. 21, 1978): Before his career ended in tragedy, Mel Street was a talented hard country singer whose emotional style harked back to the honky tonk of yesteryear. Street took his own life on October 21, 1978, his forty-third birthday. He had been scheduled that day to record the final tracks for his first album at Mercury Records. Upon his death, Mercury released the album, Mel Street, borrowing two tracks from his previous Polydor sessions to fill the void. A single from the album entered the country charts the very day he died. Its title "Just Hangin' On," turned out to be sadly prophetic.

Stringbean (David Akeman) (6/17/1916 -- 11/10/1973): On Saturday night the Akemans returned home after performing a show at the Grand Ole Opry, and were shot dead upon their arrival. The Akemans' bodies were discovered the following morning by neighbor and fellow performer Grandpa Jones. A police investigation into the double homicide resulted in the conviction of cousins John A. Brown and Marvin Douglas Brown.

Walker, Billy (1/14/1929 -- 5/21/2006): From his West Texas home of Ralls this country crooner went on to become one of Country music's most successful recording stars during the 1960s. He had moderate success in the 1950's but his career took off when he joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1960 and in 1962 recorded his first number one hit "Charlie's Shoes.

On May 21, 2006, Walker died when the van he was driving back to Nashville after a performance in Foley, Alabama veered off Interstate 65 in Fort Deposit and overturned. His wife Bettie; bassist Charles Lilly Jr., son of Everett Lilly of Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductees The Lilly Brothers; and guitarist Daniel Patton were also killed in the crash. Walker was interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville.

West, Dottie (10/11/1932 -- 9/4/1991): On August 30, 1991, Dottie West was scheduled to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Shortly after leaving her Nashville apartment, her car stalled near her home. Her elderly neighbor spotted her on the side of the road and offered to drive her to the Opry. He lost control of his vehicle while exiting near the Opry at an excessive speed. The car left the ramp, vaulted in the air and hit the central division. West, though she thought she was unharmed, suffered severe internal injuries, including a ruptured spleen and a lacerated liver. Dottie underwent three surgeries, but the final procedure to stop her liver from bleeding failed and West died on the operating table

Whitley, Keith (7/1/1954 -- 5/9/1989): Whitley's legacy loomed large over the country music landscape of the '90s. A talented new country singer and songwriter, Whitley was just beginning to emerge as a superstar at the time of his death in 1989. Keith's cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning. The medical examiner stated that his blood alcohol level was .477, the equivalent of 20 1-ounce shots of 100-proof whiskey and almost five times over the then Tennessee level of 0.1 legal intoxication limit, and nearly six times over the current .08 legal limit to drive.

Widener, James Phillip

(Mar. 12, 1918 ~ Nov. 27, 1973) 

James Widener was a musician who played rhythm guitar with Hank Snow for nearly twelve years. He was an Air Force veteran and the Distinguished Flying Cross was one of a dozen medals he held.

Widner was robbed, severly beaten and shot twice. Widener, prior to going to Nashville, had been an ace sideman with groups headed by Cliffie Stone and Spade Cooley in Southern California. 

James also played banjo on a Bob Wills single titled, Cotton Eyed Joe. The original issue was recorded on Columbia Records, 37212 in Hollywood, California, on Sep. 4, 1946. Session personnel included: Bob Wills (fiddle), Tommy Duncan (vocal), Jesse Ashlock, Joe Holley (fiddle), Lester Benard Jr (lead guitar), Tiny Moore (electric mandolin), Herb Remington (steel guitar), Millard Kelso (piano), Jimmy Widener (banjo), Billy Jack Wills (bass guitar), Johnny Cuvello (drums).  

Widener died a week after Stringbean was murdered. James is said to have made comment about Stringbean's murder saying: "When music people die it usually comes in threes, I wonder who will be next?" He was robbed and brutally murdered the following week.  Listen to Hank Snow tell about the tragic event.

Williams, Hank (9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953): On January 1, 1953, Williams was due to play at a New Year's Day concert in Canton, Ohio, but he was unable to fly due to weather problems with snow and ice in Ohio. He hired a college student, Charles Carr, to drive him to the concerts he was to perform during the few final days of 1952 and early 1953.

Upon leaving the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, Williams apparently had injected himself with some pain-killers which included a morphine/Vitamin B-12 combinations. Also found in the Cadillac convertible were some empty beer cans and the handwritten lyrics to a song yet to be recorded. According to some, Williams was carried semi-conscious to his automobile by Carr and a hotel employee, who wondered about Williams' condition, and later believed he might have been dead at that point.

Young, Faron (2/25/1932 -- 12/10/1996): A star of the Grand Ole Opry from 1952 to 1964, Faron was also known as The Singing Sheriff after appearing in a 1956 western Hired Guns. He helped Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson get their music careers started.

Faron became depressed over health problems, his career slump, and a divorce from his wife of 40 years, Hilda. On December 9, 1996, he shot himself in the head with a .38 caliber handgun. Faron was found unconscious on a bed in his home by a former band member, Ray Emmett and died one day later. Young was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Researched, compiled and written by Richard Bell, Country Music Historian, Roots of Country Music, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. March, 2011.