Country music legend dies after heart attack

Jeremy Tepper, a legend of the country music world, has died.

He was 60.

Tepper reportedly suffered a heart attack on Friday. Variety reported that his wife, singer Laura Cantrell, announced his death on social media.

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Tepper has held many different roles over the years, working as a musician, journalist, manager, and finally as program director of SiriusXM’s “Outlaw Country.” depending on the variety.

“Jeremy Tepper, a beloved member of SiriusXM, had a profound impact on us with his unwavering devotion to music and spirit of innovation,” SiriusXM said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “His contributions to shaping Outlaw Country and Willie’s Roadhouse are immeasurable. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this time.”

Stevie Van Zandt also posted on X after Tepper’s death.

“I lost my good friend Jeremy Tepper last night,” he wrote. “An incredibly tragic loss at such a young age. He did an excellent job of running my outlaw country station on SiriusXM. It’s actually a pretty complicated format, but he made it look easy. Our deepest condolences to Laura and his family and friends.”

Type called Tepper as a “music lifer.” According to the website, that path began when he fronted the band World Famous Blue Jays and co-founded the record label Diesel Only in 1990. He was also a country music critic for Pulse! Magazine and editor of the Journal of Country Music, according to Variety.

According to the website, he has been the format manager for SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel since 2004. He has also worked on the Willie’s Roadhouse and Road Dog Trucking channels.