Nashville singer-songwriter Jamie O’Hara, who penned tracks for artists like The Judds, Tim McGraw and Tanya Tucker, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 70.
O’Hara’s wife Lola White shared on Facebook that her husband died while son Brian sang to him. “Jamie suffered tremendously in recent months. He's no longer suffering, and for that we can all be grateful,” she wrote. “He will live in our hearts and in his songs.”
O’Hara released three albums in the ‘80s as one-half of the O’Kanes (with Kieran Kane) and scored a No. 1 hit and Grammy nomination with “Can’t Stop My Heart From Loving You.”
He went on to release three solo albums between 1992 and 2012 and wrote songs that were recorded by a long list of artists.
O’Hara wrote “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ol’ Days),” which was a No. 1 hit for The Judds and earned him a Grammy for Best Country Song in 1986.
White shared news of O’Hara’s cancer diagnosis only days ago. “My husband Jamie, the love of my life, has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, that has us measuring his life in weeks,” she wrote in a Facebook post. "My heart is shattered, and I’m spending every moment I can with him.”