Country Music Singer John Wesley Ryles Has Died

Country singer and renowned Nashville session vocalist John Wesley Ryles has passed away.

Tracy Pitcox, owner of Heart of Texas Records, first shared the news on Facebook, writing that Ryles had died Sunday morning. A cause of death was not disclosed. Ryelss was 74.

Ryles was born in Bastrop, LA, on Dec. 2, 1950, into a musical family. He began playing guitar at age 6 and appeared on KTRY-AM (730) in Bastrop at 7. In 1965, his family moved to Nashville.

At 18, he had a Top 10 hit in 1968 with “Kay,” a story song about a taxi ride through Nashville.

Although his solo career yielded 26 more chart singles through 1988, Ryles found his most enduring success as a session singer. His highest-charting hit, 1977’s “Once in a Lifetime Thing,” reached No. 5. For decades, Ryles sang background vo