Distinguished Songwriter Tom T. Hall Dead at 85
The country music community lost one of its most celebrated songwriters, Tom T. Hall, on Friday, August 20, 2021. Hall, a…
Inductee Tom T. Hall speaks at the 2008 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Downtown Nashville.
The country music community lost one of its most celebrated songwriters, Tom T. Hall, on Friday, August 20, 2021. Hall, a renowned songwriter, singer and entertainer, was 85 years old.
Hall was a seven-time CMA Awards nominee, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, a GRAMMY winner and a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was elected to the Nashville Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.
Known as “The Storyteller,” Hall was born on May 25, 1936 in Olive Hill, Kentucky. He began writing songs before the age of 10 and joined a bluegrass band as a teenager.
He later joined the military and became a disc jockey for the Army in 1957. He often performed on the Armed Forces Radio Network while stationed in Germany and even sang original songs on air.
When he returned to the states, he was a DJ in Virginia and caught the attention of a music published in Nashville. He began to pursue a singing career while also writing hit songs for other artists.
He went on to write 12 No.1 songs and more than 26 Top 10 singles throughout his career. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Johnny Cash, George Jones, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings.
“Few could tell a story like Tom T. Hall. As a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, he was one of those triple threat artists who continued to make an impact on the next generation. I’ll always remember growing up listening to Tom T.’s music with my father, who was a huge bluegrass and Country fan,” shared Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association.
“Tom T. Hall’s masterworks vary in plot, tone and tempo, but they are bound by his ceaseless and unyielding empathy for the triumphs and losses of others,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “He wrote without judgment or anger, offering a rhyming journalism of the heart that sets his compositions apart from any other writer. His songs meant the world to Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, George Jones and other greats, and those songs will continue to speak to generations. He was a storyteller, a philosopher, a whiskey maker, a novelist, a poet, a painter, a benefactor, a letter writer, a gift giver, a gentleman farmer and many more things. My bet is that we won’t see the likes of him again, but if we do I’ll be first in line for tickets to the show.”
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The Grand Ole Opry paid tribute to the late singer/songwriter on Friday, writing, “Thank you for all of the music, Tom T. Hall. We’ll miss you ❤️.”
A photo shared on the official Opry Twitter shows a white ribbon on Tom T. Hall’s Opry plaque, in honor of the country music legend.
Details surrounding his passing, including cause of death, are unknown at this time.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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