Nineties traditionalist Daryle Singletary has died at age 46.
Rolling Stone reports:
Singletary played local clubs and signed a deal with independent Evergreen Records in 1992, issuing a pair of singles. Members of Randy Travis’ band heard the singer and, at their urging, Travis would soon align himself with Singletary, co-producing his debut LP for Giant Records in 1995. The album generated his first hits, “I’m Living Up to Her Low Expectations,” followed by the Number Two single “I Let Her Lie,” and a second Top Five tune, “Too Much Fun.” A year later, he released his best-charting hit, “Amen Kind of Love.” In 2002, he recorded what would be his last Top 30 hit, “The Note,” delivering a chilling cover of a song previously cut by Conway Twitty, as well as Tammy Wynette.
Singletary’s devotion of the traditional sound endeared him not only to the general public but to fellow artists with whom he would collaborate, releasing various projects that teamed him with George Jones and Johnny Paycheck, Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs, John Anderson and Vince Gill. His most recent LP was 2017’s American Grandstand, a duets collection with bluegrass legend Rhonda Vincent.
“There are still people out there who want to hear traditional country music,” Singletary is quoted as saying on his official website. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to always keep it real and not have to compromise.”
I always enjoyed Daryle Singletary. He had an infectious personality and the kind of adherence to traditionalism that had brought great success earlier in the decade to artists like Mark Chesnutt and Aaron Tippin. He came along just a little bit too late to get the healthy run at radio that he deserved, but he always maintained a solid fanbase, and his recent work with Rhonda Vincent was among the best of his career.
Here are some great moments from Singletary, another great artist gone too soon.
46 is just way too young to go. Absolutely shocking to hear of his death. It’s rare to see an artist have such a passion to sing Country music, but Daryl had both that and the talent (and the songs) to back it up. R.I.P
This is sad and unsxpected. I enjoyed his album with Rhonda Vincent aas well as his latest solo album, There’s Still A Little Country Left, which is worth checking out.
Very sad to lose another great country singer. We don’t have many of the good ones left.
RIP DS. I never checked out his music but gotta feel for his widow with 4 young children.