If there’s some good news for country music fans it is that 2024 has to get better than this because January was downright brutal for folks who love the genre.
The first month of the year has seen a couple of tragic deaths, several stars announce they are on the way out — some not entirely on their own accord — and it ends with a legend’s family asking for prayers as a beloved-son battles for his life.
The following is a look back at the brutal start to the new year for country music:
Ernest Ray Lynn fighting for his life
We will start with the newest bit of news first as we head into the final weekend of the month with the family of the late legend Loretta Lynn asking fans to pray for her son, Ernest Ray Lynn, after he had to undergo “a critical surgery” and is suffering from kidney failure.
“In moments like these we are reminded that all that really matters is faith and family,” a post to the late singer’s Instagram page read. “We would love to know you are praying with us for Ernie.”
Ernie Lynn, who is 69, has also had consistent health updates provided through his wife, Crystal, on Facebook. The latest of those updates came just after 9 p.m. Thursday.
“So many of you have messaged or commented asking for an update regarding Ernie and his operation,” Crystal wrote. “Thank you for that. The day hasn’t gone as we had hoped for but we are not giving up. We wholeheartedly believe and claim that this operation will be successful and that the Lord will fulfill our needs. We ask you to please pray specifically for his new device to start working for us tomorrow.
“We believe in God,” she added. “We believe in power of prayer, and we appreciate your continued prayers, concern, and friendship. Thank you all, God bless you all.
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She closed with a Bible Verse, Matthew 18:19-20.
In her initial post on Facebook Tuesday about what happened to Ernie, Crystal explained that two weeks ago he underwent an operation “regarding his kidney failure & dialysis needs that didn’t yield good results.”
Because of that, she explained, he had to undergo another operation that day.
“It is a lifesaving and life sustaining operation, so we desperately need it to work this time so that they don’t have to take more drastic measures,” she added.
The family’s post and Crystal’s posts have been met with an outpouring of love and support.
We will continue to update the status of Ernie Lynn as information becomes available.
Ray Stevens announced in January that he is ready to slow down and smell the roses.
Not exactly a surprise because the guy is 85, but you still hate to see him go.
The Country Music Hall of Famer is planning to make 2024 his last full year of performing live.
It’s not being called a farewell or a full stepping away, but instead in a story in The Tennessean it is being referred to as a slow-down.
“I’ve always been in the music business, since I was 15-years-old, and I’ve traveled all over the world, played shows, written, and recorded a lot of successful records,” Stevens told The Tennessean. “And so I was tired.”
Stevens has been performing at his West Nashville CabaRay Showroom, which he opened in 2018. That venue will reportedly stay open with other performers taking his place after he steps away.
Stevens said he is prioritizing recording when he steps away from the full slate of live performances.
The comedic songwriter and singer has been performing since 1957.
“I’m looking forward to this final year, it’s going to be a good year,” he told The Tennessean. “I’d like to see everybody come out if they can and see the show.”
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is leaving the road
The legendary Nitty Gritty Dirt Band also announced that it is wrapping things up.
In a social media post Wednesday the band announced that it is embarking on a farewell tour, entitled “All The Good Times,” with the first show slatted for March 21.
For fans of the band, though, there is still hope to see them after the tour wraps on July 28.
“This isn’t goodbye forever,” the band’s post on X, former Twitter, stated in closing. “But it will be the last fans see of multi-city runs and long bus rides.”
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has been performing and touring for nearly six decades.
The three-time Grammy-winning band formed in 1966. The current iteration of the band includes Bob Carpenter, Jimmie Fadden, Jaime Hanna, Jeff Hanna, Ross Holmes and Jim Photoglo.
Jeff Hanna and Fadden have been with the band since the beginning. No surprise considering its longevity, there is a long list of past members as well.
The band’s first big break came in 1970 with “Mr. Bojangles,” and they have produced 25 albums through the years.
“‘All The Good Times’ perfectly describes our career,” the band said in a statement on its website. “Playing our music for Dirt band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience — that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That’s the very spirit we’ll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We’re really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!”
Tickets for the tour went on sale on Jan. 19.
Oak Ridge Boys Joe Bonsall stepping away
Oak Ridge Boys singer Joe Bonsall also announced to start the year that a debilitating medical condition is forcing him to retire from touring.
The 75-year-old has reportedly been battling a neuromuscular disorder which prompted him to announce last week that he was retiring from touring.
“I am now at a point where walking is impossible, so I have basically retired from the road,” he reportedly said. “It has just gotten too difficult. It has been a great 50 years, and I am thankful to all the Oak Ridge Boys band crew and staff for the constant love and support shown to me through it all. I will never forget, and for those of you have been constantly holding me up in prayer, I think you and ask for you to keep on praying.”
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While Bonsall steps away the group will reportedly continue its Farewell Tour with 27-year-old Ben James taking his spot.
“There is a young man named Ben James singing for me out there, and he needs your love and encouragement,” Bosnall reportedly said in his statement. “His sound is different than mine, but he brings a ton of talent to the table! The Oak Ridge Boys will finish the Farewell Tour without me, but rest assured, I am good with all of it! God’s Got It!!!” The tour is slated for a stop in Lancaster on March 16 and March 17 at the American Music Theater.
Larry Collins of “The Collins Kids” dies
Larry Collins, a former country music child star turned legendary guitarist and song writer, died on Jan. 5.
He was 79. Per reports, Collins died of natural causes.
He first made his splash in country music alongside his older sister, Lorrie, when they formed the “The Collins Kids” duo when Larry was just 9 years old. They recorded a series of hits — “Hop, Skip and Kump,” “Hoy Hoy,” and “Beetle Bug Bop” — with music catering to children. The became regulars on “Town Hall Party” in 1954 and they performed together into the 60s.
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Per reports, Lorrie had her first child in 1961 and stepped away from music to focus on family. The duo did reunite years later in the 90s.
While Lorrie, who died in 2018, focused on building her family, Larry moved on to a solo career where he made, perhaps, his biggest mark as a songwriter. He is credited as the co-writer for “Delta Dawn,” which became Tanya Tucker’s first hit song among other songs.
John Michael Montgomery is calling it quits
John Michael Montgomery got a jump on 2024 by taking to Facebook to let his fans know that he was heading out on a farewell tour.
“I have decided to wind down my touring career over this year and 2025,” the 58-year-old wrote. “It’s been a wonderful run for me from the beginning over 30 years ago in 1992 when my first song ‘Life’s A Dance’ was released to radio.”
The singer’s first three albums, 1992′s “Life’s A Dance,” 1994′s “Kickin’ It Up,” and 1995′s “John Michael Montgomery,” were all reportedly mutli-platinum selling albums. And he has reportedly sold more than 16 million albums in his career.
His Billboard number-one hits include: “I Love the Way You Love Me,” “I Swear,” and “I Can Love You Like That.”
Good news for fans of the artist is that while it sounds as though he is all but wrapping up his time on the road, he reportedly hasn’t ruled out the occasional appearance and it doesn’t sound like he is completely walking away from making music.
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“I’m sure there will be some situations where I just need to do a show here and there because I’ll miss that too much,” he reportedly said in a statement. “But I just feel the time has come to say goodbye to the road life.”
The singer said in his Facebook post that he has been “fortunate and blessed to be able to do what I love for so many years.”
“Please join me on my journey as I say goodbye to the road life,” he wrote. “And thanks so much for your support for the last 3 decades, it’s meant so much to me.”
His farewell tour has already kicked off.
There are five other dates scheduled, and you can see those here. For folks in Pennsylvania, the closest the tour currently brings him to the Keystone State will come May 31 when he plays in Xenia, Ohio.
Jo-El Sonnier dies
Jo-El Sonnier might not be a name that most fans of modern country music would know well but read up and it doesn’t take long to realize the guy was a legend.
Check out the videos of performances and it becomes obvious, too, that seeing him perform in person was a high-energy affair.
He put his heart and soul into a show, and apparently, he did that right up until the end. Sonnier died back on Jan. 13, and now new details are being reported and it turns out he actually died after a performance.
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Executive Director Mike Shepard told WWL Radio New Orleans that the 77-year-old Sonnier “died doing what he loved.”
“Jo-EL’s death on stage after a successful encore is actually the only way a musician should go out,” he said.
The station reported that Sonnier, a singer/songwriter who played the accordion, had a long list of accolades that included a Grammy in 2015 and an ACM Male Vocalist of the Year nomination. He was reportedly inducted into seven different Music Hall of Fames and worked as a studio musician for a long list of stars including Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.
“He loved the idea of being honored for his music,” Shepard told WWL, “being honored for what he loved to do, pure as his heart.”
Morgan Wallen has falling out with former managers
There’s new Morgan Wallen music on the way and he sure isn’t happy about it.
And that’s because it’s really not new music at all, according to Wallen himself.
Instead, he contends in a post on Instagram, his former managers are dropping an old, five-track EP called “Stand Alone,” and eight unreleased songs, against his wishes.
Wallen explained in his post that the tracks were recorded in 2014 when he “went to Florida to try my hand at making original music & songwriting for the first time.”
Wallen wrote that led to a “recording deal with a local investor & an artist management deal that I deeply regret.”
“Unfortunately, I signed both deals without any legal representation,” he wrote. “We made 13 songs. Some were OK. Most were terrible as I was just learning how to write in general and figuring it all out. I was not the only collaborator, so many of these songs were not my idea nor met my standards.”
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Wallen said he parted with “those colleagues” 10-years ago, and they are re-releasing a “10th Anniversary) edition.
“For months I’ve been exploring every avenue possible to acquire the rights to this old music & keep the quality of my catalog consistent with songs I choose to release and believe in,” he wrote. “It’s gross, greedy & an example of how the dark side of the music business can suck the soul out of artists.”
Wallen said he wanted fans to know this wasn’t actually new music from him.
“I cringe when I listen to these songs & I’m concerned my fans may mistakenly believe this is a new release by me,” he wrote, adding that he will begin recording a new album in February.
Then Wallen announced he was fighting fire with fire by re-recording the hit song from that initial EP, “Spin You Around,” and releasing it. He did that on Wednesday.
He also announced that he was donating $100,000 form the Morgan Wallen Foundation to the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts program.
“I hope young aspiring musicians read this story & know the should never have to give up their creative freedoms for an opportunity in this business,” he added.
Wallen is scheduled to perform at Hersheypark Stadium on May 9.
Elle King’s Grand Ole Opry debacle
Another day and still no word from Elle King to close the month after she trotted out onto the stage at the Grand Ole Opry’s celebration of Dolly Parton’s birthday last week, announced she was “hammered,” and proceeded to butcher some songs.
Fans have complained, gone after her on social media, and the Opry has apologized for it all.
But no word from King.
What we have seen, though, is movement. The 34-year-old singer postponed her Friday concert scheduled for Fort Worth, Texas.
Entertainment reported that the show has been moved to Sept. 21.
King did post to her Instagram stories in the time since that she has rescheduled dates in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.
Per Billboard, those shows were all scheduled for February and have now been moved to March.
King, who is the daughter of comedian Rob Schneider, has been in the headlines since her performance Friday at the Opry.
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After announcing that she was “hammered,” she went on to perform a cover of Parton’s “Marry Me,” which fans were not exactly pleased with.
That probably had something to do with the fact that, according to reports, she admitted during the performance that she did not know the lyrics to the song and told fans, “Don’t tell Dolly cause it’s her birthday.”
She reportedly followed that by saying, “I’m not even gonna (expletive) lie … ya’ll bought tickets for this (expletive), you ain’t getting your money back.”
USA Today reported that another singer, Lauren Alaina, was slated to perform on the “Opry Goes Dolly” show — Friday was Parton’s 78th birthday — but was unable to attend.
“I wish she would’ve been there because Elle King ruined the night with her horrible, drunk, and profane performance,” the newspaper reported one fan responded on X, formerly Twitter. “Dolly Parton would’ve been mortified. For our first time at The Opry, it was a shame we all had to witness that.”
The Grand Ole Opry responded to that person writing, “We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night’s second Opry performance.”
There were many country music fans who took to the social media platform to blast King for her performance.
There were others, though, who took to social media to encourage King to make positive change.
“Hope you get the help you need,” one fan wrote on X.
