Died On This Date (September 18, 2017) Mark Selby / Blues Rock Singer-Songwriter

Mark  Selby
September 2, 1961 – September 18, 2017

Photo by Roger Pistole. Courtesy of Moraine Music Group

Mark Otis Selby, who made a big mark on music with a string of hits he co-wrote with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and with his own wife, Tia Sillers, passed away at home on Monday, September 18, 2017 from cancer. The Nashville-based recording artist, songwriter, session guitar player and producer released albums on Vanguard Records and his songs have been recorded by a wide array of artists. With Shepherd, his co-writes include “Deja Voodoo,” “Slow Ride,” “Last Goodbye,” and “Blue on Black,” which was #1 for 17 weeks and Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Song of the Year. He also wrote the Dixie Chicks’ first Number One single “There’s Your Trouble” and had his songs recorded by many other artists including Wynonna, Little Big TownTrisha Yearwood, Johnny Reid, Jo Dee Messina, Lee Roy Parnell and Keb’ Mo’. A highly-regarded session player, Selby played on recordings by the likes of Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Selby spent his youth harvesting wheat and playing in bands throughout the Midwest before moving to Hays, Kansas to attend Fort Hays University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music. Selby was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.   In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to MusicCares in memory of Mark. grammy.com/musicares/donations

 

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Died On This Date (November 5, 2011) Patsi Bale Cox / Music Journalist

Patsi Bale Cox
DOB Unknown – November 5, 2011

Patsy Bale Cox was a Nashville music journalist and author who penned the popular book, The Garth Factor: The Career Behind Country’s Big Boom, that examined the success of country icon, Garth Brooks.  Born in Kansas, Cox settled in Nashville in 1983 and started out doing freelance work while editing bios and such for Capitol and Polygram Records.  She eventually became a popular writer of autobiographies in the “as told to” role.  Her two such books with Ralph Emery were best sellers.  Over the course of her career, Cox wrote books about such music greats as Pat Benatar, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna Judd, Tony Orlando, and Loretta Lynn.  As reported by CMT, Patsi Bale Cox died of emphysema on November 5, 2011.  She was 66.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number 1 Albums for the assist.



Died On This Date (April 30, 2010) Will Owsley / Respected Nashville Singer, Songwriter & Producer

Will Owsley
DOB Unknown – April 30, 2010

Will Owsley was a respected singer-songwriter, producer and musician who is best remembered as Amy Grant’s touring guitarist for more than 15 years.  Over the course of his career, he also worked with Shania Twain, the Neville Brothers, Faith Hill and Wynonna Judd.  Owsley also released a handful of albums under his own name, including 1999’s Owsley, which earned him a Grammy nomination for its engineering.  During the early ’90s, he formed the power pop band, the Semantics with Zak Starkey and Millard Powers.  Will Owsley died on April 30, 2010 of an apparent suicide.

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