Died On This Date (August 26, 2003) Wilma Burgess / Country Music Singer
themusicsover Wilma Burgess
June 11, 1939 – August 26, 2003
Wilma Burgess was a popular country singer during the late ’60s and early ’70s. While attending college, Burgess thought a career in physical education was in her future, that is, until she heard the great Eddy Arnold sing live. She new she could hold her own as a singer, so in 1960, she packed up and headed to Nashville on the advice of a friend to record some demos. Within a couple of years, she had released her first record and found a believer in the highly regarded producer, Owen Bradley, who was looking for the next Patsy Cline who had recently died. With Bradley’s help, Burgess landing a significant deal with Decca Records, and proceeded to release a series of singles that included 15 that landed on the Country charts over the next decade. She continued to make records until she retired from recording in 1982. A short time late, Burgess opened the Hitching Post, Nashville’s first lesbian bar. And contrary to recent claims that Chely Wright was the first country star to come out as a lesbian, Burgess was openly gay throughout her entire career. On August 26, 2003, Wilma Burgess died following a massive heart attack. She was 64.
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David Schnaufer was a folk musician whose instrument of choice, the dulcimer, can be heard on countless country, Americana and bluegrass recordings. During the ’80s, he moved from Texas to Nashville where he became one of the most in-demand studio players. Over the years he’s played on records by the likes of the Judds, Kathy Mattea, Hank Williams Jr., Alison Krauss, and Cyndi Lauper. He was also a member of alt-country band, the Cactus Brothers which included members of Walk The West. During the mid ’90s, he became a music professor at Vanderbilt University. David Schnaufer died of lung cancer on August 23, 2010. Fellow Cactus Brother, 
Dorsey Burnette was born into a musical family that included brother, 
Lew DeWitt is best remembered as a singer and guitarist in the Statler Brothers. He also penned a handful of their songs, including “Since Then,” and “Flowers On The Wall” which made it to #4 on the Billboard singles chart in 1965. The song found a new audience thanks to its prominent placement in Pulp Fiction in 1994. In 1982, DeWitt left the group for health reasons. In 1990, DeWitt passed away after years of struggle with Chron’s disease.