The world grows a little more dim when a country artist dies. Losing a singer-songwriter leaves a void in music, especially if they pass away unexpectedly.
Fans find comfort after these moments by holding onto their music. Often, there’s a spike in sales or streaming of an artist’s work following their death.
And then there’s the rare occasion that new music arrives from beyond the grave.
How Do Artists Release Music After They Die?
There are a few scenarios that could lead to new music drops even after a musician has passed away, the most common being that there are a ton of unreleased tracks lying around that get scooped up by a record label or family member, who then compiles them into an “new” album.
For example, Johnny Cash‘s Songwriter album arrived in 2024. The collection of songs was recorded in 1993, but was never released.
In other situations, an artist has a project that is due to be released, but they meet an untimely end before they can put it out into the world. Like when Montgomery Gentry finished their album Here’s to You, duo member Troy Gentry died in a helicopter crash before it was released.
There are also some situations in which an artist understands they won’t be here forever, so they get into the studio to record as much as they can before they’re gone. Dolly Parton has been stockpiling songs that will only be made available after she’s left this Earth.
“There’s enough stuff to go on forever with my music, to do compilation albums, to do, actually, new and original stuff, and I am purposely trying to put songs down for that very purpose. To have a click track and my vocals, to where any arrangement can be done,” she said in 2020. “So I think ahead.”
Keep scrolling to see which artists have released music after death.
Jess hosts the syndicated radio show, Taste of Country Weekend, which can be heard on country stations nationwide. Tune in for all of the best new country music, spotlights on new tracks and emerging artists, plus Double-Downs on all of your favorites. The weekend is always better with a little Taste of Country in it.