Backstage Country

LISTEN LIVE

Chris Young, Toby Keith, John Rich Mourn Earl Thomas Conley

Country stars have been taking to their socials to mourn the loss of Earl Thomas Conley who died at 77 at a Nashville Hospice this morning. Mr. Conley suffered from…

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Country stars have been taking to their socials to mourn the loss of Earl Thomas Conley who died at 77 at a Nashville Hospice this morning. Mr. Conley suffered from a condition similar to dementia, his brother said, and had been in hospice care for several months. He is best know for the songs "Holding Her and Loving You," "What I'd Say" and "Right From the Start."

Chris Young posted on Twitter, "RIP Earl Thomas Conley... sad day for country music"

John Rich posted to Twitter, "So sad to hear #EarlThomasConley passed away today. He was a huge influence on my style and songwriting. I studied his records like textbooks and could play every note of every song. Truly one of the all-time greats in country music. #RipEarlThomasConley"

Toby Keith shared on Twitter, "An all time great. Earl Thomas Conley passed away today. Huge influence on me. Loved him. Prayers to his family. -T"

-Nancy Brooks

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.