Country music legend dies of heart attack
Country music legend Jeremy Tepper has passed away.
He was 60 years old.
Tepper reportedly suffered a heart attack on Friday, and Variety reported that his wife, singer Laura Cantrell, announced his death on social media.
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According to Variety , Tepper worked over the years as a musician, journalist and business owner, eventually serving in multiple roles as program director for SiriusXM's “Outlaw Country.”
“A beloved member of SiriusXM, Jeremy Tepper, influenced us so much with his unwavering dedication to music and innovative spirit,” SiriusXM said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). “His contributions in shaping Outlaw Country and Willy's Roadhouse are immeasurable, and our hearts are with his loved ones at this time.”
Stevie Van Zandt also posted to X after Tepper's death.
“My good friend Jeremy Tepper passed away last night,” he wrote. “An incredibly sad loss at such a young age. He ran my Outlaw Country station on SiriusXM with flying colors. It's actually a pretty complicated format, but he made it look effortless. My heartfelt condolences to Laura, his family and friends.”
Variety described Tepper as “a man of music,” whose journey began when he was the frontman for the World Famous Blue Jays before co-founding the record label Diesel Only in 1990, according to the publication. He also served as country music critic for Pulse magazine and was editor of the Journal of Country Music, according to Variety.
He was format manager for SiriusXM's Outlaw Country channel since 2004, according to the site. He also worked on the channels “Willy's Roadhouse” and “Road Dogg Pursuits,” the site noted.
