Country music singer-songwriter Jeff Carson, who had hits with “Not On Your Love” and “The Car” before becoming a police officer, has died in Tennessee, his publicist said. He was 58 years old.
The musician died of a heart attack at a Franklin hospital, said Jeremy Westby of 2911 Media.
Carson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1963, and was originally named Jeffrey Lee Herndon, Westby said in a news release. He sang in church and formed a band in Rogers, Arkansas, before moving to Branson, Missouri, where he wrote songs and performed locally, according to the text.
He moved to Nashville and recorded demos for Tracy Lawrence, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and other country stars.
Carson received a recording contract at Curb Records in 1995 and released the single “Yeah Buddy.” He went on to record the singles “Not On Your Love” and “The Car,” which earned him his first Academy of Country Music award for Video of the Year.
During his career, he had 14 singles on the Billboard chart, Westby said.
Carson retired from music to become a police officer at Franklin, remaining with the police department. He returned to music in 2019 and released “God Save The World,” a previously recorded song.
Singer Bryan White said on Twitter that he was saddened to learn of his friend’s death.
“He was a formidable singer and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met… I’ll see you on the bright side mate,” White said.
The Franklin Police Department tweeted that it thanked Carson for his “life of service and song” and said that he “changed everyone he met, all of us, for the better!”
“Hard to believe he’s gone,” the department said on Twitter.