Earl Thomas Conley

Earl Thomas Conley
Born(1941-10-17)October 17, 1941
Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
OriginDayton, Ohio, U.S.
DiedApril 10, 2019(2019-04-10) (aged 77)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals, Guitar
Years active1974–2019
LabelsGRT, Warner Bros., Sunbird, RCA

Earl Thomas Conley (October 17, 1941 – April 10, 2019)[1] was an American country music singer-songwriter known for many hit records, including his 1981 top hit "Fire and Smoke" ("...what a rush I got..."). Between 1980 and 2003, he recorded ten studio albums, including seven for the RCA Records label. He had more than 30 hit records, along with his hit-single "Holding Her and Loving You". As a songwriter, he also wrote popular songs for other singers, with Mel Street's number 13 hit "Smokey Mountain Memories" or Conway Twitty's song "This Time I've Hurt Her More".[2]

Throughout his career, Conley's music was called the "thinking man's" country. This is because the narrator looks into the heart and soul of his characters in each song.[3]

Conley died on April 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee from problems caused by dementia at the age of 77.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ Wood, Gerry. (1998). "Earl Thomas Conley". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 108.
  2. ↑ "Earl Thomas Conley - Biography by Tom Roland". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  3. ↑ Roland, Tom. "Earl Thomas Conley biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  4. ↑ Earl Thomas Conley Dead: Country Legend Dies at 77
  5. ↑ Country singer Earl Thomas Conley, who sang 'Holding Her and Loving You,' dies at 77