Remembering Daryle Singletary

Daryle Singletary passed away on this day in 2018. He was a country star whose legacy will last an eternity, and whose music will be considered country classics for years to come.

Singletary’s Musical Beginnings

Growing up in Cairo, Georgia – honing in on his singing skills by pursuing gospel music with his cousins and brother – Singletary moved to Music City at the age of 19 in hopes of landing a record deal.

Finding work as a demo singer in the meantime, Singletary recorded “An Old Pair of Shoes,” which was eventually recorded and released by Randy Travis, naturally garnering the attention of the country legend. Because of this, Travis connected Singletary with his management team, who helped him land a deal with Giant Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, in 1995.

Singletary’s Musical Success

Releasing three studio albums under Giant Records – Daryle Singletary in 1995, All Because of You in 1996 and Ain’t It the Truth in 1998 – his music became beloved by country music fans from coast to coast, entering the top 40 on the Hot Country Songs chart on five different occasions, notably reaching number four with “Too Much Fun” and number two with “I Let Her Lie” and “Amen Kind of Love.”

Leaving Giant Records in 2000, Singletary released Now and Again in 2000, That’s Why I Sing This Way in 2002, Straight from the Heart in 2007 and Rockin’ in the Country in 2009, prior to the release of his final solo record titled There’s Still a Little Country Left in 2015, which exemplified his love for classic country music.

His last body of work before his death was a collaborative project with Rhonda Vincent titled American Grandstand in 2017.

Naturally, Vincent was one of the first individuals to react to Singletary’s tragic passing, filming a Facebook Live video when she heard the devastating news for the first time: “He’s a dear friend. I am stunned… Our prayers go out to Daryle’s wife and his children.”

When Did Daryle Singletary Die?

On February 12, 2018, Singletary was found dead in his home in Lebanon, Tennessee at the age of 46. He was survived by his wife, Holly, and their four children: twin boys Mercer and Jonah, daughter Nora Caroline, and daughter Charlotte Rose.

In 2022, Singletary’s widow reflected on his passing in a touching Instagram post.

“Today makes four years without you. The heaviness that comes with this day has been hanging around for weeks,” she began. “Even though you know it’s coming, it seems to hit you with surprise. We miss you, we miss your presence, your laughter and your sense of humor. We miss everything about you! I miss what was yet to be, the things that are yet to come like the baseball games, ballet recitals, family vacations, graduations and our children getting married.”

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A post shared by Daryle Singletary (@darylesing)

She went on to admit that she grieves the “things that are yet to come” in life, specifically the life events that involve their children.

“I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning but I had two little boys come in my room with big smiles to love on their mom. So I got up and made breakfast and I thought the one thing we could do for you today was make your favorite sausage. As I was making breakfast, Jonah requested dad’s music so we cooked breakfast while listening to you all morning,” she said.

Holly admitted that she misses her late husband everyday and doesn’t know that she will ever stop missing him.

“I think we just miss you a little more on the hard days and today is one of those. We cherish our time we had with you and feel blessed to have lived such a sweet wonderful life with you before our Heavenly Father called you home,” she said in closing. “We are one year closer to seeing your smiling face and we hang on to the hope for the day that we will see you again. Until then, I love you!”

How Did Daryle Singletary Die?

To this day, Singletary’s cause of death has yet to be revealed to the public, leaving fans to assume that his tragic passing will always be a mystery.

While Singletary is greatly missed within the country music community, his music is still available to stream on all platforms.