BMI Mourns the Loss of GRAMMY-Winning Songwriter Jamie O’Hara

Posted in News on January 8, 2021

BMI is saddened by the news that singer-songwriter Jamie O’Hara passed away yesterday. Highly decorated for the GRAMMY-winning megahit “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days),” which was recorded by The Judds in 1986, O’Hara was also the scribe behind Ronnie McDowell’s smashes “Wandering Eyes” and “Older Women.” Early on, Don Williams also landed a hit with O’Hara’s “Desperately,” while Lee Ann Womack, George Jones, Trisha Yearwood, The Chicks, Randy Travis, Emmylou Harris, Mark Collie, Michael Martin Murphey, Tanya Tucker, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, Joey & Rory, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pam Tillis and Josh Turner were also stars that cemented O’Hara’s decades-long career as an award-winning songwriter.

As an artist himself, O’Hara was one-half of The O’Kanes, a duo he formed with fellow songwriter Kieran Kane, landing a #1 in 1987 with “Can’t Stop My Heart From Loving You,” and several top 10’s, including “Daddies Need to Grow Up Too,” “Just Lovin’ You,” “One True Love” and “Blue Love,” among others.

O’Hara will be remembered with admiration for his many contributions to the country charts, as well as the Nashville community.

SOURCENews TAGS Country Nashville Obituary Mark Collie Sara Evans Emmylou Harris George Jones Tim McGraw Oak Ridge Boys Dolly Parton Linda Ronstadt Pam Tillis Randy Travis Tanya Tucker Josh Turner Lee Ann Womack