Billy Joe Shaver, the Texas singer-songwriter who was a key player in the Outlaw Country movement, died this morning, October 28, 2020, following an illness at age 81.
Shaver was the author of such acclaimed country tunes as “Old Five and Dimers Like Me,” “I’ve Been to Georgia on a Fast Train” and “Ride Me Down Easy,” Shaver had his songs covered by the likes of Johnny Cash, the Allman Brothers, and Elvis Presley. He was honored with the first Americana Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting in 2002, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
Shaver’s death leaves Willie Nelson and Kristofferson as the OGs of the Outlaw scene.
