he country music world is in mourning today following the passing of John Wesley Ryles, a voice that helped define a generation of heartfelt storytelling and harmony.
The beloved singer, known for his golden tone and impeccable phrasing, died peacefully on November 2, 2025, at the age of 74.
Didn’t have electricity or a television
In a time when new country stars like Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, and Chris Stapleton are taking the world by storm, it’s easy to forget the hidden gems from the past — the voices who paved the way and built the foundation for today’s country sound.
In my book, John Wesley Ryles is definitely one of those slightly forgotten stars, the kind whose light may not have always shone in the spotlight, but whose glow helped illuminate the entire path for those who followed.
Born in Bastrop, Louisiana, on December 2, 1950, Ryles was destined for music from the start. As a child, he sang gospel with the Ryles Family Singers, his voice already showing the warmth and sincerity that would one day captivate audiences far beyond his hometown.
”I came from humble beginnings, and when I was very young (age 6) we didn’t have electricity at hour house – no radio, television – nothing. The only thing we had to entertain ourselves was singing,” he told DeRidder Enterprise in 1978.
”In the summertime it was too hot to sit in the house, so we’d sit out on the front porch and sing for two or three hours in the evening.”
Releasing Kay
By the time John Wesley was 13, his family had moved to Texas, and he was already performing regularly in Dallas clubs. At 15, he convinced his father to move with him to Nashville, chasing his dream of making it in country music.
At just 17 years old, Ryles released his debut single “Kay”; a hauntingly beautiful song that became an instant classic.
The song “Kay” climbed into the Top 10 on the Billboard Country charts in 1968, a haunting ballad about a taxicab driver in Nashville, Tennessee. He sells everything he owns to bring the woman he loves from Houston to Nashville, only to watch her become a star and drift beyond his reach.
It’s a story steeped in emotion, love, heartbreak, and the quiet fragility of life.
Wesley Ryes sang it with such economy of words and purity of feeling that it remains one of the most underrated masterpieces in country music history, according to many country fans.
The song also carried a subtle political undertone, as it was released in the midst of the Vietnam War. One lyric mentions “soldiers from Fort Campbell who tell him that they ‘hate that war in Vietnam.’”
This line has often been cited as a rare example of the anti-war sentiment that quietly surfaced in country music during the late 1960s, a time when few artists in the genre openly addressed such themes.
Odd jobs in Missouri
Then came a quiet downturn in the early 1970s, when the hits stopped coming and a disillusioned John Wesley left Nashville for odd jobs in Missouri. Perhaps he had simply gotten too much, too soon.
But through the 1970s and ’80s, Ryles’ career blossomed. With songs like “Fool,” “Once in a Lifetime Thing,” “Liberated Woman,” “Louisiana Rain,” and “Always on My Mind,” he became a trusted voice for those who felt too deeply to say it out loud.
But for those who worked beside him, John Wesley Ryles was even more than a hitmaker. To many, he was the heart of Nashville’s harmony. From the late 1980s onward, his unmistakable voice graced countless records as a session vocalist, blending so seamlessly with stars like Mark Wills and Kenny Chesney that listeners often mistook his harmonies for the artists themselves.
Tributes pour in
Country star Mark Wills paid tribute, writing:
“We lost a GIANT in the music industry today. John Wesley Ryles sang more harmonies on records that, to the listener, sounded like the artist themselves. He could blend with ANYBODY… His voice was flawless. My condolences to Joni and his entire family.”
Ryles was married to Joni Lee, daughter of country legend Conway Twitty, and together they shared a love that mirrored the songs he so often sang about.
Friends, family, and fans have flooded social media with tributes. Fellow country artist John White poured his heart out in a touching tribute, saying:
”Man, what a loss. John Wesley Ryles. An absolute Giant in our industry. An incredible songwriter and an outstanding singer.
”When I moved to town and started singing demos for publishers and writers John Wesley and I would pass each other in the hallways of studios all over Nashville. I was always in awe. His skills were unmatched.
”What an inspiration. Man what a legacy. John will be missed. Prayers for the Ryles family,” he added.
Though the stage may now be silent, John Wesley Ryles’ voice will never fade. It lives on, in the vinyl crackle of old country records, in the hearts of artists he mentored, and in every listener who ever found solace in his songs.
Rest easy, John Wesley.
You gave country music more than melodies — you gave it a soul.