Billy Joe Shaver Dies At 81 Following An Illness

Shaver

In a blow to the TEXAS Country music scene still reeling from last week’s death of JERRY JEFF WALKER (NET NEWS 10/26), artist/songwriter BILLY JOE SHAVER passed away TODAY (10/28) following an illness. He was 81.

A key player in the Outlaw Country music scene, TEXAS native SHAVER had more success as a songwriter than as an artist, although he released more than 20 albums in his career, including one (‘Everybody’s Brother”) that earned him a GRAMMY nomination in 2007. His most recent release, 2014’s “Long In The Tooth,” was his first to chart on BILLBOARD’s Top Country Albums. His iconic songs have been recorded by numerous artists including JOHNNY CASH, WAYLON JENNINGS, KRIS KRISFOFFERSON, TOM T. HALL, WILLIE NELSON, ELVIS PRESLEY, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS and by actor ROBERT DUVALL in the film “Crazy Heart.” He earned the Poet's Award from the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC last year.

SHAVER was honored with the first Americana Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting in 2002, and was inducted into the NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME in 2004 and the TEXAS COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME two years later. As an actor, he appeared in the films “The Apostle,” “Secondhand Lions,” “The Wendell Baker Story” and “Bait Shop.”

“The whole songwriting community has suffered a huge loss TODAY, and most importantly the fans of Country music,” said TANYA TUCKER. “BILLY was one of a kind … I just can’t find the words right now. BILLY, he never had any trouble finding the right words when it came to a song. He was a master.”

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