Jeff Carson, Country Singer Who Served His Community 'Bravely' as a Police Officer, Dead at 58

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Country music singer Jeff Carson has died of a heart attack. He was 58.

Public relations firm 2911 Media announced the news Saturday, and did not disclose when Carson died. In a statement, the firm said that the musician had a heart attack at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee.

Born Jeffrey Lee Herndon in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1963, Carson got his start in music by singing in church. Later, he moved to Branson, Missouri and then Nashville, where his career gained momentum. There, he recorded demos for country stars including Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, per the Associated Press.

Carson got a contract with Curb Records in 1995, and soon after, his song "Not On Your Love" went number one on the Billboard Hot Country chart. Another hit, "The Car," reached number two on the coveted chart and won him the Academy of Country Music award for video of the year in 1996.

Some of his most popular albums include Butterfly Kisses in 1998 and Real Life in 2002. Throughout his career, Carson had a total of 14 charted singles on the Billboard country charts.

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In 2009, Carson stepped away from the music world to become a police officer with the Franklin Police Department in Tennessee, per the press release.

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In 2019, Carson returned to the country music scene with an MC1 Nashville singles deal. The deal included recutting and releasing the song "God Save The World." He most recently signed with Encore Music Group, working with Buddy Hyatt on an album that was slated to be released later this year.

On Twitter, country music singer and songwriter Bryan White remembered Carson as "one of the kindest" people he ever met.

"So saddened to hear of the passing of my friend #Jeffcarson. He was a tremendous singer and one of the kindest people I've ever met. He also was a law enforcement officer who served his community bravely," White tweeted Saturday. "He'll be missed dearly. I'll see you on the good side buddy."

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The ACM Awards also shared their condolences over the weekend, tweeting "The Academy mourns the loss of Jeff Carson, the chart-topping country singer... Please join us in sending love and condolences to the Carson family."

Carson is survived by his wife Kim, son Dayton, his mother Virginia, his siblings and other family members.