Doug Winstead
Courtesy of Band of Oz
Howard Douglas Winstead Jr., a singer, trumpeter and member of the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame, died in a crash early Saturday in Dunn, the awards group that runs the Hall of Fame confirmed.
The 67-year-old Concord resident was a member of the Band of Oz, founded in 1967 in Grifton, near Greenville, N.C. — originally as the Avengers, according to the band’s website.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021 and was a songwriter of the year nominee.
The wreck on I-95
Winstead was driving a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica minivan on Interstate 95 North when he failed to reduce his speed and hit the rear of a 2025 Peterbilt tanker truck, according to a North Carolina State Highway Patrol statement.
The truck had slowed “due to traffic ahead,” according the statement by a Highway Patrol spokesman.
The crash happened around 2:15 a.m. near Pope Road in Harnett County, the spokesman said. Winstead died at the scene.
The highway reopened just before 6 a.m., and the crash is still being investigated, according to the State Highway Patrol.
Beloved beach music performer
Keith Houston, a founding member of the Band of Oz, said he was too upset to talk about his friend Saturday. It wasn’t clear Saturday if the band will still perform at Sunday’s Halifax Resolves Day.
Winstead’s death drew an outpouring of sympathy online.
“Our Beach Waves crew was devastated to learn of Doug Winstead’s tragic passing this morning,” Beach Waves Radio said on Facebook. “Doug always brought the smiles in his unique brand of entertaining generations of Beach Music fans over the years.”
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend, Doug Winstead,” the Catalinas said on Facebook. “Our prayers are with Deanna Winstead, The Band Of Oz, and the entire beach music community, and all the lives that he touched for many years.
“Gone way too soon,” the famous beach music band said. “Love you Doug! RIP dear friend.”
The Charlotte Observer
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.newsobserver.com ’
