Country music reacts to devastating deaths of two singers in one day

Nick Maslow
Updated

Friday will be remembered as a heartbreaking day for country music, as two of its stars — Troy Gentry and Don Williams — died within hours of each other.

One half of Montgomery Gentry — a platinum-selling duo known for hits like “Where I Come From” — Gentry died in a helicopter crash in Medford, New Jersey, prior to his show there with Eddie Montgomery, his musical partner since 1999. He was 50.

“Troy Gentry’s family wishes to acknowledge all of the kind thoughts and prayers, and asks for privacy at this time,” reads a statement shared on the band’s official Twitter account, confirming the death.

Don Williams died at the age of 78 following a “short illness,” according to a statement released by the country great’s rep on Friday. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, Williams was known for classics like “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” “Tulsa Time,” “I Believe in You,” and “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.”

As the news travels through Nashville and beyond on Friday, Gentry and Williams’ peers are reacting on Twitter. Read on for the tributes.