Country singer Joe Diffie dies of coronavirus complications

RIP to this country singer. But one thing I'd like to know about these reported deaths of specific individuals is what physical conditions and/or unhealthy habits these people had.

I can tell from the picture he was a bit overweight but was there anything else?

Quite a few stars from around the world have caught the disease but some pull through easily and some quickly die.

Agreed speed.

comorbidity  is a big factor with covid19, from all that I have read and heard from podcasts ( doctors and scientists) Smokers with compromised lungs, hypertension, diabetes, obesity - four of the big ones.

No idea of any underlying health issues (cardiovascular, followed by diabetes/hypertension/smoking seem to be the most prevalent). But I do know Diffie as a great vocalist and musician at a time most male country stars can barely sing. RIP.

Never heard of him, but I stopped listening to CW music once Nashville transitioned to Garth Brooks and the new stuff (now thats considered classic I guess) Real country was back in the 70s and 80s. What they play now is a joke

TheLongTermerMar. 30 06:10 pm JSTNever heard of him, but I stopped listening to CW music once Nashville transitioned to Garth Brooks and the new stuff (now thats considered classic I guess) Real country was back in the 70s and 80s. What they play now is a joke

'Country' today is a joke made for yuppies. A newer rock genre (pundits call it 'Americana') with roots based in Johnny Cash and also John Mellencamp, Grateful Dead, Wilco, Bottle Rockets, REM is closer to the original country you refer to and like. Check that stuff out.

Hmm, interesting but when I refer to classic CW, I mean like the Oak Ridge boys, Statler Bros, Barbra Mandrell, Lee Greenwood, Belamy Bros, Hank Williams Jr, Eddie Rabbit, Rebba Mcintire, Tammy Wynette, Don Williams, Atlanta, George Jones, Myrle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Crystal Gale, The Forrester Sisters, Charlie Daniels Band, Jerry Lee Lewis., some cross over like Crosby Stills and Nash, Steve Miller Band etc..and many other greats that a few of us had the privilege of enjoying on great country radio stations back then. I think it was the great, late George Jones that sang "who gonna fill their shoes" Nobody really ever did as most of what came later was total crap. CW in the Southern US had its own stars and culture, similar to what you find in the enka scene in Japan today. Their roots were in the poor South, R&B, gospel quartets, dirt poor upbringings but happy times, telling stories. Somewhere starting in the late 80s, the US CW Nashville scene started to cross over to pop, sell outs and other fake wanna be artist arrived with big cowboy hats and belt buckles with all the same cringe worthy sounds.

TheLongTermer

Nobody really ever did as most of what came later was total crap. CW in the Southern US had its own stars and culture, similar to what you find in the enka scene in Japan today. Their roots were in the poor South, R&B, gospel quartets, dirt poor upbringings but happy times, telling stories. Somewhere starting in the late 80s, the US CW Nashville scene started to cross over to pop, sell outs and other fake wanna be artist arrived with big cowboy hats and belt buckles with all the same cringe worthy sounds.

I agree. But look at my above post concerning the newer genre 'Americana' (AKA 'alt-country'). I like some of that stuff real good. I like the late Kenny Rogers and I like some of the harder-edged 'country rock' (or 'Southern rock') bands that were big before the 90s, such as 38 Special. And I love REM too. But these acts never sold themselves out and they kept in original. You could tell these acts apart.

You can't say that about the 'hat acts' that come from the Nashville assembly line today. They all sound the same. Garth Brooks is a 5th rate watered down Bob Seger for the Yuppies. And let's be honest, Shania Twain has got the looks but nothing else going for her. Her music is utter dreck, I mean absolutely godawful and unlistenable. It's not country or even top 40 pop, it's SLOP. Total musical bilge, man.

I think Twain is Canadian (too lazy to google it) There are some newer ones on the scene, I cant even believe they are country....some awful sounding guy named Keith? Yes I forgot the great Kenny Rogers. Southern Rock? The 2 that stand out for me are Molly Hatchet and the original Skynard.

Gram Parsons

starpunk and TheLongTermer, check out Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans, a Canadian roots/country musician. He came to country from a background in punk, but draws on traditional country, western swing and country blues to create a unique sound in contrast to the overproduced dreck that comes out of Nashville these days.