Jerry Scoggins / Mack Vickery / Jimmy Griffin / Spencer Dryden / Leslie Wilburn
As the lead singer of the Cass County Boys, Jerry Scoggins struck gold late in his career singing “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett” for the TV show Beverly Hillbillies. Scoggins died December 7 at age 93.
Nashville songwriter Mack Vickery passed away December 21 at age 66. He wrote hits for Faron Young (“She Went A Little Bit Farther”), George Strait (“The Fireman”) and Jerry Lee Lewis (“Rockin’ My Life Away”). A singer as well, he recorded for Sun Records in the late 1950s and under the name Atlanta James in the ’70s.
After achieving fame in the hitmaking pop band Bread, Jimmy Griffin later found success in country music. In the late ’80s, he formed Black Tie with ex-Eagle Randy Meisner and Billy Swan, and in the early ’90s he was part of the Remingtons. Griffin died January 11 of complications from cancer; he was 61.
Spencer Dryden, who drummed for both Jefferson Airplane and New Riders Of The Purple Sage, died of cancer January 11 at age 66.
The last of the Wilburn Brothers, Leslie Wilburn, died January 15 at age 79. Besides performing with his brothers, Wilburn also ran the music publishing company Sure Fire Music.