Country music's 'storyteller' died on August 20.
Tom T. Hall, the country music legend, has died. He was 85.
The "I Love" singer died at his Franklin, Tennessee, home on Friday, his son Dean Hall confirmed the news on social media.
"With great sadness, my father, Tom T. Hall, died this morning at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. Our family asks for privacy during this difficult time," Dean wrote on Twitter.
Hall was dubbed "The Storyteller" by Country Music Hall of Fame member Tex Ritter for "writing songs distinguished by their narrative quality, their rich detail and their keen insight into the beauty of everyday life," per Country Music Association, who also confirmed his death.
The Olive Hill, Kentucky-native was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.
His hits included "Harper Valley P.T.A.," "That's How I Got To Memphis,", Homecoming," "(Old Dogs, Children, and) Watermelon Wine," "A Week in a Country Jail," "I Love," "Country Is," "I Care" and many more. Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones and Loretta Lynn have all recorded Hall's songs.
Hall is a seven-time CMA Awards nominee, and won his first GRAMMY in 1972 for the notes he wrote for his album Tom T. Hall's Greatest Hits.
The entertainer was married to bluegrass songwriter Dixie Hall from 1969 until her January 16, 2015 death. They frequently collaborated together and recorded his last studio album, Tom T. Hall Sings Miss Dixie and Tom T., together.
When he wasn't singing and writing songs, the artist also wrote novels, including The Laughing Man of Woodmont Cove (1982), The Acts of Life (1986), Spring Hill, Tennessee (1990) and What a Book! (1996).
Following news of his death, fellow country artists mourned the loss of their friend.
“I worked with Tom on several occasions, and he was always a gentleman. He was a very interesting songwriter and a fun person to be around. He contributed a great deal to country music and he got to live a full life," Don McLean said in a statement.
Joe Bonsall from The Oak Ridge Boys also stated, "Back in 1978 when we sang at Mama Maybelle Carter’s funeral a saddened and shaken Johnny Cash walked up to the podium and asked Tom T. Hall to stand with him… Johnny said, 'I draw strength from you, Tom!' Thank you Tom T. Hall for the songs and the strength you provided to so many … Rest Easy now and draw strength from the loving arms of Jesus… until the day."
"TOM T. HALL WAS A ONE-OF-A-KIND HUMAN BEING. HE LEFT US WITH A BODY OF SONGS THE LIKES OF WHICH WE WRITERS CAN ONLY DREAM OF. HIS RECORDS WERE HITS. A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR, HIS BOOKS WERE ALWAYS A FUN READ. HE MADE US LAUGH AND CRY. HE WAS A HALL OF FAMER AND WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED. THAT IS THE MARK OF TRUE GREATNESS. REST EASY, OLD STORYTELLER," expressed T. Graham Brown.
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