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Daryle Singletary, Traditional Country Singer & Randy Travis Protégé, Dies at 46
Daryle Singletary 1988
Country music has lost one of its’ finest traditional voices with the unexpected passing of Daryle Singletary.
The singer passed away Sunday night (Feb. 11) at the age of 46, causing
a wave of tributes across social media from artists such as Craig Campbell, who said of the singer “…Sad day...the greatest country voice of my time is now singing in Heaven’s band. Gonna miss you.”
Born
March 10, 1971 in Cairo, Georgia, if there was ever a singer that
fulfilled his destiny, it was Singletary. He grew up enamored of artists
such as George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Randy Travis. It was his purchase of the latter’s Storms of Life
album at the age of 15 that had a particularly deep and profound impact
on him. He began to sing Gospel music with his brother, and also worked
on sharpening his songwriting skills. At the age of 19, he moved to
Nashville, where he began playing in the clubs and recording demos. In
1992, Travis heard the singer on “An Old Pair of Shoes” -- which he
recorded and took to No. 21 on the Hot Country Songs chart -- and was
also struck by the singer’s classic-sounding delivery. With Travis in
his corner professionally, Singletary soon found himself on the roster
of Giant Records.
Singletary’s first single, “I’m Living Up To Her
Low Expectations,” with Travis on board as a co-producer found favor
with audiences, hit No. 39 on the Hot Country Songs chart. His next
single, “I Let Her Lie,” would hit No. 2 that fall, and help to
establish the singer as one who traditional-minded fans would point to
as a keeper of the country flame. In a 2002 interview, the singer said
that he was simply doing what he was born to do.
“I’m not trying to stand on a soap box or a pedestal. I’m just doing
what I love to do," he said. "I just try to sing what comes from the
heart. I’ve been fortunate enough to have people allow me to do it.”
He
continued to record for Giant through 1998, with “Amen Kind Of Love”
also hitting the runner-up slot on the charts. He then moved to Audium /
Koch, where he recorded perhaps the most critically-lauded album of his
career – 2002’s That’s Why I Sing This Way. A collection of
Country standards that included appearances from acts such as Dwight
Yoakam and George Jones, the set also featured the final recording from
Johnny Paycheck – on “Old Violin.” Being able to include the singer in
his recording resume was something that Singletary took great pride in.
“I
was on the Grand Ole Opry one night, and we had been doing the song in
our show. I played it, and came off the stage, and Marty Martel –
Paycheck’s manager – was standing there with a cell phone. He gives it
to me, and it’s Johnny. He was listening, and he just had so many kind
words to say about it. He was in the hospital, and had turned down so
many things, but he agreed to do the recitation on the last line. It’s
something I’ll never forget. I’m glad I got that on tape. It was such a
big deal, and a feather in my cap,” he said with reverence.
The singer recorded three more solo albums and continued to tour
throughout the United States. He also began to perform at a local
Nashville club occasionally with Bluegrass queen Rhonda Vincent – who
also appeared on That’s Why I Sing This Way. The two recorded
an album of duets, American Grandstand, which was released last summer.
At the time of the release of the disc, Vincent praised her duet
partner, saying, “Daryle Singletary is the greatest male singer in
country music. I have admired him so much. I remember meeting him in
Jack McFadden’s office, and became a huge fan instantly. I can’t think
of someone who I love singing with anymore, because our voices meld so
well together. To find someone that you work with that you are so
like-minded on is amazing. I think that’s the number one thing about the
business – when you get to sing with someone you admire so much – it’s
amazing.”
Though his chart legacy – fourteen entries between 1995
and 2002 – wasn’t the largest by any standards, Singletary will no doubt
be remembered as a torch-bearer for artists such as Lefty Frizzell and
Keith Whitley to modern-day generations of fans and artists. And,
perhaps, that’s what he was most proud of artistically. “I feel very
fortunate that I’ve been able to record country music, and have it get
played on the radio. It’s what I always dreamed of.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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