Beloved Voice of Country Music Dies at 67

For more than three decades, Bill Cody helped bring country music into the homes, cars and workplaces of millions of listeners.

The longtime WSM radio personality and Grand Ole Opry announcer died Tuesday in Nashville at age 67, according to a Facebook post from WSM Radio.

Cody had been a fixture on Nashville’s legendary WSM-AM since 1994, hosting the popular morning show Coffee, Country & Cody while also serving as one of the most recognizable voices associated with the Grand Ole Opry.

In recent weeks, many members of the country music community had shared requests for prayers after Cody’s daughter revealed that he was in critical condition and in need of heart and kidney transplants.

Following his death, his family thanked fans for their support during the difficult time.

“We will never be able to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and the sincere prayers over the last few weeks,” his daughter wrote on Facebook. “We know God heard them and we feel a deep peace that one day we will understand why God chose to still take him.”

Tributes from across the country music world quickly poured in.

“There might be someone somewhere in the world who loved country music as much, but nobody loved country music more than Bill Cody,” Garth Brooks said.

Dierks Bentley wrote, “Country music has lost one of its pillars. Bill was just as important to the fabric of our music and city as any artist, songwriter or musician. No one loved country music, its history and its characters more than Bill Cody.”

Carly Pearce also honored her friend, saying, “Bill Cody devoted his life to telling the story of country music. With a legacy spanning decades, he will be marked as one of the greatest of all time.”

According to Variety, Cody began his broadcasting career at age 17 after answering a help-wanted ad at a Kentucky radio station. Born Trent Clutts, he adopted the on-air name Bill Cody in honor of childhood hero Buffalo Bill Cody.

Over the course of his career, he became one of country radio’s most respected personalities. He was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 2008 and received a star on Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame in 2024. He is also set to be inducted posthumously into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame later this year.

Patrick Moore, CEO of Opry Entertainment, remembered Cody as a beloved colleague whose enthusiasm for country music never wavered.

“Everyone at the Grand Ole Opry, in country music, in Nashville, and across the country will remember Bill for his profound gravitas, his incredible voice, and his positive and infectious enthusiasm for country music,” Moore said.

Saturday night’s live broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry will be dedicated to Cody’s memory, while WSM plans to air a special marathon featuring memorable moments from Coffee, Country & Cody.

Related: Country Music Legend and Radio DJ Dies at 88