Jerry Kennedy—prolific session musician, songwriter, country music producer, and record executive—died Feb. 11 at age 85.

Nashville is mourning the loss of Pete Finney, who was also known for his work as a music historian.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Wesley Webb West—most commonly; Speedy West—is the first known country musician to professionally use a pedal steel guitar.

There are countless country artists to choose from for this list. The guitar is the default instrument of country singers, at least in modern times. While almost all country singers have a knack for ...