Country singer and renowned Nashville session vocalist John Wesley Ryles has passed away.
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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, Louisiana, 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.
John Wesley Ryles—who died Sunday at age seventy-four—recorded 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
— Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) November 3, 2025
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 vocals on hundreds of recordings, his voice blending seamlessly with country’s biggest stars, from Randy Travis and Brooks & Dunn to Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire.
Country Music Artists Pay Tribute to John Wesley Ryles
Meanwhile, Pitcox’s label is known for preserving classic country artists’ legacies. Her post about Ryles’ death quickly filled with tributes from fans and fellow musicians.
Fellow country artist Mark Wills also took to Instagram to remember Ryles.
“We lost a GIANT in the music industry today,” Wills wrote alongside a snapshot of the veteran singer. “John 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 family! Please lift them up in prayer.”
“He sang on my first two albums and crushed it! Def one of a kind,” indie country singer Craig Campbell wrote in the comments section.
Session singer Penny Cardin-Loden also honored Ryles.
“When 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… today he has gone to be with our Savior. Prayers for all who loved him,” she wrote on Instagram.
Since his last single in 1988, Ryles primarily served as a background vocalist and in music production. He lent harmonies to hits by Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Randy Travis, Blake Shelton, and others. Ryles also wrote “Starting Over Again” for Steve Wariner.
He married Joni Lee, daughter of country legend Conway Twitty.