The country singer/songwriter who wrote hit singles for such musicians as The Judds and Gary Allan has died at the age of 70 while living in hospice care.
- Jan 10, 2021
AceShowbiz - Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jamie O'Hara has lost his battle with cancer.
The 70 year old, who penned country hits for The Judds and Gary Allan, passed away on 7 January (21).
O'Hara was also one half of country duo The O'Kanes.
Paying tribute to her late husband on Facebook, his widow Lola White O'Hara wrote, "It is with a broken heart that I must tell you that my husband, friend and love of my life took his last breath this morning at 11:11 at Alive hospice, as my son Brian sang him a plethora of Jesse Winchester songs, all stunningly appropriate, though we'd never thought of them in this context before, and Jamie's own songs, including the earliest ones, which were shockingly sophisticated for a man as young as he was when he began his career."
Born in Ohio, O'Hara was an accomplished high school basketball, baseball and football player, who went on to play football at Indiana University. His dreams of becoming a professional were dashed by a knee injury.
He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1975 to become a songwriter and landed a publishing contract.
He enjoyed six top 10 Billboard country songs as a member of The O'Kanes and scored a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You".
He won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 1986 for his tune "Grandpa" - a hit for The Judds.
"He had a way of looking at life with such a beautiful sensibility," a statement from friend and collaborator Emmylou Harris reads. "We always talked baseball. I was so adamant against the designated hitter, but it was Jamie who made me see that it prolonged the life of a great athlete. He could understand that, because of what had happened to him in football. His perspective... I think of him as a holy man.
