Hall of Fame Rock and Country Artist Dies at the Age of 79
A rock and country legend died Friday, May 16, at the age of 79.
Tony Haselden, the lead guitarist and vocalist for the1970s/1980s rock band LeRoux, and later a prolific songwriter in Nashville, died on Friday, according to a post from the Louisiana Jukebox Cafe. No cause of death was listed.
The site says he was a South Carolina native, but later split his time between Louisiana and Nashville, Tennessee.
He joined the rock band LeRoux in 1978. That band went on to have several hits, including "Take a Ride on a Riverboat," "New Orleans Ladies," "Addicted," "Carrie's Gone," and their highest-charting hit "Nobody Said It Was Easy (Lookin' for the Lights). According to the band's website, over the years, LeRoux performed with huge acts like The Allman Brothers, Journey, Kansas, Heart, The Doobie Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Foreigner, Marshall Tucker, The Outlaws, ZZ Top and more.
After the band split up in the late 1980s (though they did reunite here and there over the years), Haselden moved to Nashville and was a songwriter for some of country's biggest hits, including It Ain't Nothin'" for the late Keith Whitley, "That's My Story (And I'm Stickin' To It)" for Collin Raye, "Mama Knows" for the group Shenandoah, "You Know Me Better Than That" by , "Love Needs a Holiday" by , "That's Me" by Martina McBride and "What Made You Say That" by .
Haselden was also a member of two Halls of Fame — the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and the LMHOF Songwriters' Association Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2010, according to the LeRoux website.
In the Facebook comments on the post about his passing, several fans say he was the most caring person.
"Tony was always willing to stop and listen and tell stories. Good guy all around," wrote one fan.
Another added, "On my list of the nicest people I've ever met, Tony Haseldon was very close to the top. RIP Tony."
"I've known Tony since the mid-to-late 70s when he would come to Alexandria's Professional Music to jam with owner Charlie Humphreys (I worked & taught there.). I got to play with him then and ran into him occasionally in Nashville and Louisiana when he was with Leroux. He was a wonderful songwriter, a great guitarist and vocalist, and just a terrific human being. Always kind, always remembered my name and always had a good word. Bless his family and the Leroux family at this time," wrote one of his colleagues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Audra McDonald Says She Didn't Know About 'Rift' Between Her and Patti LuPone
If Audra McDonald and Patti LuPone have beef, McDonald wasn't aware. The actress-singer has responded to Patti LuPone's recent New Yorker interview, where she seemingly dissed McDonald and claimed the two were no longer friends after a falling out. More from The Hollywood Reporter Leslie Odom Jr. on Becoming a SCAD Professor and His Return to 'Hamilton' This Fall Lin-Manuel Miranda and Original 'Hamilton' Cast Performing at Tony Awards Sadie Sink on Her First Tony Nomination, Shaking Off 'Stranger Things' Expectations When McDonald was asked by Gayle King on CBS Mornings on Thursday if she was 'surprised' by LuPone's remarks, she responded, 'I mean, if there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is. That's something you'd have to ask Patti about.' 'I haven't seen her in about 11 years because I've been busy with life and stuff,' McDonald added. 'So, I don't know what rift she's talking about. You'd have to ask her.' Earlier this week, when McDonald's name was mentioned during LuPone's interview with The New Yorker's Michael Schulman, she said, 'She's not a friend.' LuPone didn't elaborate but noted that they'd had a rift years ago. McDonald was just nominated for a Tony for playing Rose in Gypsy, a role for which LuPone previously won a Tony. When the latter was also asked about McDonald's current production of Gypsy, Schulman wrote that LuPone stared at him for 15 seconds in silence, before turning to look out the window and sighing, 'What a beautiful day.' The two stars have previously worked together, including in the 2007 Los Angeles Opera production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, as well as co-starring in the 2000 New York Philharmonic's concert version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. McDonald wasn't the only person LuPone called out during her interview. She also recalled an incident that happened last fall when she was starring in the Broadway production The Roommate, involving fellow Tony winner Kecia Lewis. After LuPone filed a noise complaint from the musical next door, Hell's Kitchen, Lewis took to Instagram to call out LuPone, saying her actions were 'bullying,' 'racially microaggressive' and 'rooted in privilege,' because she had labeled 'a Black show loud.' McDonald reportedly liked the video. 'Here's the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about,' LuPone told The New Yorker in response. 'Don't call yourself a vet, bitch.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Beetlejuice' Returning to Broadway for Third Run
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is returning to Broadway for the third time. The first national tour of Beetlejuice The Musical will play at The Palace Theatre from Oct. 8 for a 13-week engagement through Jan. 3, 2026. The third return to Broadway is unusual (and in keeping with the plot of the show) as the musical's two previous Broadway engagements were in the last five years and the production has had a bumpy trajectory. More from The Hollywood Reporter Tonys: Sarah Paulson on the Truth-Teller Behind the Pulitzer-Winning Play 'Purpose' Mia Farrow on Her First Tony Nomination, Returning to Broadway in 'The Roommate' Audra McDonald Says She Didn't Know About "Rift" Between Her and Patti LuPone The musical originally ran at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre from April 2019, and initially saw low ticket sales until its fortunes turned around, thanks in part to traction on social media and a successful Tonys performance. Despite the reversal in the production's grosses, theater owners announced plans to force the show out of the theater by June 2020, to make room for The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman. Those plans were delayed by the pandemic, but Beetlejuice did vacate and plan its return to Broadway, based on the momentum of the show and the popularity of the cast recording, said producers. Beetlejuice returned to Broadway, at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran from April 2022 through January 2023 and saw a return of most of its Broadway cast, including Alex Brightman, playing the title character. However, the musical struggled to recapture the same momentum from before the pandemic and ended its run early. Now it returns after the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to the 1988 film, this fall, which had the second best September launch of all time. Warner Bros. is the producer of the film and its theatrical arm is a producer of the Broadway show. Casting for the Broadway engagement has not yet been announced. The first national tour of the musical launched in December 2022, and will end its run on Broadway. There have also been productions of the show in Tokyo, Seoul, and Melbourne, and an upcoming production in Sydney. Based on the Tim Burton film, Beetlejuice is directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge!), with an original score by Eddie Perfect (King Kong), a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, with choreography by Connor Gallagher. The show's run is also part of a returning industry trend in which national tours make stops on Broadway, including The Wiz, which ran at the Marquis Theatre from April to August 2024, before theaters. Beetlejuice takes over the Palace Theatre, which is currently home to Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Kieran Culkin, Bill Burr and Bob Odenkirk, which is scheduled to end its run there on June 28. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
CNN to Air Live Broadcast of George Clooney's ‘Good Night and Good Luck' in Broadway First
The Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck, starring George Clooney, will be broadcast live on CNN. The broadcast, which is the first time a live performance of a play will be televised, is scheduled to air live on June 7 at 7 p.m. ET across CNN, CNN International and streaming on CNN's website. The televised performance is the second-to-last scheduled performance of the play on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater. More from The Hollywood Reporter C-SPAN's Next Big Bet Is a "Radically Different" Sort of Cable News Show: 'CeaseFire' Charles Strouse, Tony-Winning Composer of 'Annie' and 'Bye Bye Birdie,' Dies at 96 David Lindsay-Abaire Brings New Play 'The Balusters' to Broadway in 2026 'I can't tell you how exciting it is to do something that's never been done. CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone,' Clooney said in a statement. 'Good Night, and Good Luck is not just a celebration of a golden age in TV journalism,' said CNN chairman and CEO Mark Thompson. 'It's also about the importance of the free press and the need for strong news organizations to report the facts in a fair-minded way. That's something we still care deeply about.' The play, which was adapted from the 2005 film, follows journalist Edward R. Murrow, played by Clooney, in his efforts to take down Sen. Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism on air amid concerns from the federal government and CBS station heads. The broadcast will be executive produced by Clooney and Grant Heslov — they co-wrote the play together — Deena Katz, Todd Wagner and Jeff Skoll. The play opened on Broadway April 3 and is scheduled to run through June 8. The live broadcast of the show is also notable as the production has broken records as the play with the highest weekly gross in Broadway history, recently becoming the first play to make more than $4 million in one week. The production also announced the recoupment of $9.5 million capitalization Monday. The broadcast is set to air the evening before the Tony Awards. Clooney is nominated for his role as Murrow, and the play is nominated for best scenic, costume, lighting and sound. CNN will also be working on special pre-show coverage outside of the theater. Following the production, CNN will host a Good Night, and Good Luck special to discuss the production and state of global journalism. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
