Rest in Peace: Remembering the Country Artists Who Died in 2021

Several beloved members of the country music community have died in 2021. These songwriters, artists and industry players are all remembered as key in shaping country music into what it is today.

One of the year's biggest deaths happened on June 16, when Steel Woods founder Jason "Rowdy" Cope died in his sleep at the age of 42; his sudden passing was later linked to his Type II diabetes, diagnosed in late 2018. Just over four months later, on May 29, singer B.J. Thomas — best known for a string of pop and country hits in the 1960s and '70s, including "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" — died after battling Stage IV lung cancer.

Ed and Patsy Bruce — the ex-husband-and-wife duo behind a simply classic country song — both died in 2021, too, only a few months apart. In addition to the Bruces, several other songwriters have died in 2021: Jamie O'Hara, Jim Weatherly and more.

Keep reading to remember all of the country artists, songwriters and other industry members who have died in 2021: