Thanks for the music, Jim Ed Brown. The Grand Ole Opry singer and 2015 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame has died, The Tennessean reported. Brown, who enjoyed a 70-year career, died in Franklin, Tenn., after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 81.
Earning spots on the Billboard charts as a solo performer, duet singer, and with his sisters, Maxine and Bonnie Brown, the country star's 1959 song "The Three Bells" was nestled at the No. 1 spot on the country chart for 10 weeks. The hit was later covered by the likes of Roy Orbison and Alison Krauss. Fans may also remember Alan Jackson's rendition of Brown's "Pop a Top" in 1999.
Brown has his sister Maxine to thank for much of his success. In 1952, she entered him into a local radio talent competition, and although Brown didn't win, he still performed at one of the radio station's concerts, and walked away with a record deal with Abbott Records.
Continuing with music after his sisters retired in 1967, Brown was still able to enjoy the perks of being a Hall of Fame member, even though the official 2015 induction ceremony isn't held until October. On June 4, representatives celebrated Brown with a hospital visit and presented him with a medallion commemorating his membership. "It was sad, but in a beautiful way, because we were making him happy," Brown's friend and fellow Hall of Famer "Whispering" Bill Anderson said after presenting his ailing pal with country's highest honor.
"We're gonna miss you, Jim Ed Brown. God bless you," Jackson said during a June 11 concert for the CMA Music Festival. In Brown's memory, Jackson performed "Pop a Top" to close out his sold-out show.