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Country singer and renowned Nashville session vocalist John Wesley Ryles has passed away.<\/p>\n
Tracy Pitcox, owner of Heart of Texas Records, first shared the news on Facebook<\/a>, writing that Ryles had died Sunday morning. A cause of death was not disclosed. Ryelss was 74. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n At 18, he had a Top 10 hit in 1968 with \u201cKay<\/a>,\u201d a story song about a taxi ride through Nashville.<\/p>\n John Wesley Ryles\u2014who died Sunday at age seventy-four\u2014recorded eight Top Twenty hits as a solo artist and performed for decades as a background singer on countless Nashville recordings. His credits include hits by more than twenty-five members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com\/pgrHdCbql6<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) November 3, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n Although his solo career yielded 26 more chart singles<\/a> through 1988, Ryles found his most enduring success as a session singer. His highest-charting hit, 1977\u2019s \u201cOnce in a Lifetime Thing,\u201d reached No. 5. For decades, Ryles sang background vocals on hundreds of recordings, his voice blending seamlessly with country\u2019s biggest stars, from Randy Travis and Brooks & Dunn to Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Pitcox\u2019s label is known for preserving classic country artists\u2019 legacies. Her post about Ryles\u2019 death quickly filled with tributes from fans and fellow musicians.<\/p>\n Fellow country artist Mark Wills also took to Instagram<\/a> to remember Ryles.<\/p>\n \u201cWe lost a GIANT in the music industry today,\u201d Wills\u00a0wrote alongside a snapshot of the veteran singer. \u201cJohn Wesley Ryles sang more harmonies on records, that to the listener, sounded like the artist themselves! He could blend with ANYBODY! John sang on my first four records and always had a flawless blend with the lead vocal. It was perfect. My condolences to Joni and his entire\u00a0family! Please lift them up in prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe sang on my first two albums and crushed it! Def one of a kind,\u201d indie country singer Craig Campbell wrote in the comments section. <\/p>\n Session singer Penny Cardin-Loden also honored Ryles.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first started doing session work in the recording industry in Nashville a lifetime ago, there was one voice that it was my honor to share harmonies with, and that was John Wesley Ryles\u2026 today he has gone to be with our Savior. Prayers for all who loved him,\u201d she wrote on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\nCountry Music Artists Pay Tribute to John Wesley Ryles<\/h2>\n