On this day (July 31) in 2010, George Richey died after a long battle with COPD at the age of 74. During his long career in Nashville, he became a jack of all trades. He was a songwriter, session musician, and record producer. He wrote several hits for George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Lynn Anderson, and others. Then, after he married Wynette in 1978, he largely focused on managing her career.

Richey, a talented pianist, moved to Nashville in the 1950s. He quickly found work as a session musician. Over the years, he played keys on sessions for Marty Robbins, Lefty Frizzell, Ernest Tubb, Ringo Starr, and Kenny Rogers, among others. In the late 1960s, he found success as a songwriter.

Songwriting and Production

His first hit as a songwriter came in 1969 when George Jones took “I’ll Share My World with You” to No. 2. The next year, Wanda Jackson had a top 20 hit with “A Woman Lives for Love.” Jean Shepard, Lynn Anderson, and Ferlin Husky also had early hits with his compositions. However, his most notable contributions to the country music canon were recorded by Jones and Wynette.

Richey co-wrote “A Picture of Me (Without You)” and “The Grand Tour,” which were both hits for Jones. He also penned “Til I Can Make It on My Own” and “You and Me,” which were hits for Wynette. Additionally, he co-wrote the Jones-Wynette duets “Southern California” and “We Loved It Away.”

Richey also produced sessions for some of the biggest names in Nashville. In this role, he worked with Johnny Horton, Billie Jo Spears, the Oak Ridge Boys, Merle Haggard, and Claude King, to name a few, according to Music Row.

George Richey’s Family Kept His Death a Secret

George Richey didn’t want his death to be a public spectacle. So, he asked his family to keep his passing private until he was laid to rest.

His official Facebook page continued making posts for roughly three weeks after he died. Per a Music Row report, one post read, “Hope you have been enjoying reminiscing with me over the past two weeks. I know it’s not been the same as having current updates, but I still have found it to be a blessing and such a graceful time to honor a great man and his family. When the Richeys are ready to make their private business public, you will understand more.”

During the three weeks between his death and the news breaking, Richey was quietly laid to rest in the Woodlawn Cross Mausoleum at Woodlawn Memorial Park near Tammy Wynette.

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