Remembering Tom T. Hall

Kentucky-native Tom T. Hall, known as The Storyteller, has passed away at the age of 85.  Hall was a well-decorated legend of Country Music with one heck of a musical resume after serving in the Army.  Here are some of his career highlights:

• Member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1971
• Won a Grammy in 1973 for Best Album Notes for his 1973 album Tom T. Hall Greatest Hits
• Inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2002
• Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008
• Inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame along with his late wife Dixie in 2018
• Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019
• Wrote twelve #1 hits, including the smash hit “Harper Valley PTA” for Jeannie C. Riley
• 28 years after the success of “Harper Valley PTA,” he was still writing #1 hit songs as Alan Jackson took his “Little Bitty” to the top of the charts in 1996
• One of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Songwriters
• Along with his late wife Dixie, named the Bluegrass Song Writer of the Year 12 times
• Seven Top-10 Albums
• Twenty-one Top-1o Singles as an artist
• Thirty-nine Top-40 Singles as an artist

Some of his other better known hits include “I Like Beer,” “I Love,” “That’s How I Got To Memphis” (performed by Bobby Bare), “(Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon Wine,” “Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet),” “The Year Clayton Delaney Died,” “That Song is Driving Me Crazy” and more.

Here is what some of his peers are saying of his passing.  We’ll continue to update this as remembrances come in.

• Bobby Bare – I’m devastated at the loss of one of my oldest friends of 57 years, Tom T. Hall. We were more than friends, he called me ‘Brother Bob’ and we had so much in common. We were both from the same part of the country with a similar childhood – but he was a brilliant storytelling songwriter, a trait I always recognized and admired. I think I recorded more Tom T. Hall songs than anyone! I just miss him a whole lot, there will never be another.
• Carly Pearce – One of my all time favorite songs is “Harper Valley P.T.A” RIP to one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Tom T. Hall. Your legacy & songs will live on.
• Chris Janson – Rip Tom T Hall … my neighbor. Sad to lose another legend.
• Don McLean – I worked with Tom on several occasions, and he was always a gentleman. He was a very interesting songwriter and a fun person to be around. He contributed a great deal to country music and he got to live a full life.
• David Frizzell – Frizzell and West enjoyed being the guests on the TV Show “Pop Goes The Country” with Tom T. Hall as host. We had a great time. ‘Say Hello To Heaven’, Tom T.
• Drive-By Truckers – Damn. The greatest storyteller songwriter of all time. A writer’s writer. There’s at least a dozen categories of song that he wrote arguably the best ever example of.
• Elizabeth Cook – He told our story and made it relatable while doing it with such care heart and craft…he is as revered as ANY literary great in my book. Even More. He has set a standard for me and I continue to strive for it. He spoke for my people. RIP Tom T Hall
• J.D. Shelburne – I’m shocked and saddened to hear the tragic passing of fellow Kentuckian Tom T Hall! One of the pioneers of songwriting and a hall of famer that was known everywhere. Country music has lost one of the good ones. Prayers to the family.
• Janie Fricke – Tom T. Hall made a great impact in country music and beyond, with the social messages written in his songs, such as “Harper Valley P.T.A.”, a huge hit for Jeanie C. Riley.  I just visited with her at a show I did in Carthage, Texas and it brought back great memories of that era and time in my life. Greatly missed, and loved.
• Jeannie Seely – It is difficult to believe the Storyteller of our time is gone, his stories have been told and that is so hard to imagine, as we all want to hear more.  If you listen to “I Love” you know Tom T,  and you also know that’s why HE was loved so much. He reminded us that those little things were so special, like little baby ducks. One of the treasures that I regret losing in the flood was a handwritten note to me from Tom T. for the ‘recipes’ I had written for the Animal Land Cookbook. He said it was a gift to be able to make someone laugh in one paragraph and cry in the next, and he should know because he did that often. The treasure I regret losing most of all is Tom T. Hall as he was truly a gift. It helps to know that today he is reunited with Miss Dixie and all the dogs they’ve ever loved.
• Jerry Lee Lewis – Another good friend, another legend, Tom T. Hall has left us! Tom T. was a true songwriter, The Storyteller was a great nickname for him because he really was the epitome of that. I am so glad I got to know this wonderful man. May he Rest In Peace and God Bless his family.
• Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys) – In 1978 when we sang at Mama Maybelle Carter’s funeral a saddened Johnny Cash walked up to the podium and asked Tom T Hall to stand with him. Johnny said “I draw strength from you Tom!” Thank you Tom T Hall for the song’s and the strength you provided to so many.
• John Anderson – Tom T. was the ultimate storyteller. His songwriting had the ability to make you see a story unfolding in your head. Such a unique and incredibly talented man. He will be missed.
• Keith Urban – My second concert (at the age of 5 !!) was Tom T. Hall. What a gifted literary musical artist he was. Peace be with all of his friends, family, and admirers today. Thank you Mr. Hall
• Kendell Marvel – Not a better storyteller to ever take a breath than #TomTHall He could write a whole book and condense it down to 3 minutes and tell the whole story. RIP genius
• Lacy J. Dalton – I loved him – he was always so kind and good to me – and so complimentary – when I was first in Nashville and he heard me sing, he said he thought I must be the reincarnation of Hank Williams – what a lovely thing to say. I will miss him.
• Lorrie Morgan – I had the pleasure of working with Tom T. Hall and also socializing with him and his lovely wife, Dixie, along with Ralph Emery and his lovely wife, Joy. As a youngster on the Ralph Emery Show and Nashville Now, I had the pleasure of working with a lot of great artists. Tom T. Hall was one of those artists who always intrigued me. He gave me great advice from the moment we met. He said ‘little lady, you’ve got talent and you’re destined to be a star.’ ‘Just remember,’ he said ‘always follow your heart.’ I always loved his songwriting. I thought the simplicity of his writing was the beauty of his writing. He will be sadly missed in this business and in our personal lives. He affected me in a very uplifting way at a time when I needed direction and support. God Bless his family in this time of grief.
• Mark Wills – I hate to hear of the passing of @opry member Tom T Hall. His songs are the epitome of great storytelling. He will be greatly missed. RIP Mr Tom.
• Mary Sarah – I grew up listening to Tom T. Hall on the radio or being covered in the Oprys of Texas. He is and will always be a Legend. Never forgotten. We will miss you, Mr. Hall. Sending all my love and prayers to his family in this time.
• Mickey Gilley – Tom T. Hall one of my favorite songwriters, two of my favorite songs are ‘I Like Beer and ‘Shoeshine Man!’ Of course the masterpiece was ‘Harper Valley PTA,’ what an awesome song. He will be missed
• Parker McCollum – Tom T Hall songs take me back to the vans days. So many late nights after a show listening to him. What a legend man RIP!
• Randall King – RIP Tom T
• Randy Owen (Alabama) – One (of) my heroes. An artist for the ages!!!!
• Ray Scott – Tom T Hall was the master. R. I. P
• Ray Stevens – What a great loss, what a great storyteller, and what a nice man. We’ll miss you, Tom.
• Ricky Skaggs – I was saddened to hear of Tom T. Hall‘s passing. I loved him. He was a great Kentuckian with a heart of gold. He was a kind and gentle man. Lots of people come to Nashville to write songs, but Tom T. came to tell stories. These stories are everyone’s story. They are America’s story. Now he can truly say, ‘me and Jesus have our own thing going.
• Rodney Crowell – It saddens me to think Tom T. Hall has passed away. His Faster Horses album was in constant rotation on my turntable for years. He was as complicated a gentleman as he was a masterful storyteller and poet. I admired the man. I miss him already.
• Ronnie Milsap – Tom T. Hall was a great storyteller, artist, poet, friend and especially husband to the great love of his life, Miss Dixie. The only comfort I have in this loss is the idea they’re reunited tonight in heaven.
• Shane Owens – What a sad day in country music. We’ve yet again lost another legend. Truly an icon to so many in this business. Gone but will never be forgotten. RIP Tom T. Hall. Prayers sent!”
• Storme Warren – RIP Tom T Hall. Thank you for the songs, your class and your hospitality. One of the greatest traditions in Nashville was Mr. Hall and Miss Dixie’s open house during Christmas. Open to anyone. It was magic.
• T. Graham Brown – Tom T. Hall was a one-of-a-kind human being. He left us with a body of songs the like of which we writers can only dream. His records were hits. A successful author, his books were always fun to read. He made us laugh & cry. He was Hall of Famer & will be deeply missed.
• T.G. Sheppard – one thing I could always count on when doing shows with Tom T was that there would be laughter. His incredible poetic writing talent and storytelling genius will for sure be deeply missed. He truly was one of our industry’s great treasures.
• Tim Atwood – Tom T. Hall loved honest, open smiles, kisses from a child, tomatoes on the vine, and onions. He was the quintessential artist who painted life’s portrait with an economy of words, a storyteller with a philosopher’s wisdom, and a poet with the common man’s heart. I remember one glorious day at Fox Hollow with Tom and Miss Dixie–sitting around their kitchen table sharing stories–hoping that in some crazy way I would absorb even an ounce of his genius. He pulled out an old guitar that day and began to sing “The Homecoming.” I was spellbound as he wove his tale of a country music singer standing on his father’s doorstep after years on the road. There’s a sadness at the finality of Tom’s road days coming to an abrupt end, but peace in the fact that he is home for good now still loving winners when they cry, loser’s when they try, music when it’s good, and life.
• Tom T. Hall – Tom T. was one funny human being. He gave me a bull 35 years ago. He wrote me a note explaining his gift of the bull. ‘Larry my young friend, I’m mighty fond of this old bull because he’s got a bad knee, and that’s what kept me out of the Army.’ Kinda funny considering the fact that he joined the Army and later he performed for our military personnel all over the world. Yes, my friend Tom T. was one funny human being. One genuine, good human being and one of the very best wordsmiths on the planet. REST IN PEACE, my friend. Steve and Rudy didn’t get a bull but they loved old Tom T. too.
• Will Hoge – Tom T Hall was an absolute titan. If you ever met him or worked with him you saw it immediately. His songs live on forever to prove it. Thanks for setting the bar so high. My sympathies to his family.
• William Lee Golden – RIP Tom T. Hall. American Storyteller
• William Michael Morgan – We will miss you. Tom T. Hall
• WSM Radio – We will miss you, Tom T. Hall.  Thank you for all of the incredible music. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.