Randy White, husband of country music star Lorrie Morgan, dies at 72 after cancer battle
Randy White, husband of country music star Lorrie Morgan, dies at 72 after cancer battle
Randy White, husband of country singer Lorrie Morgan, has died following a battle with mouth cancer. He was reportedly 72.
Morgan, best known for her hits "Five Minutes," "What Part of No," and "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," announced White's death on June 1 in an emotional post shared on her social media pages. The singer, who was previously married to late country singer Keith Whitley, did not share the date of White's death.
"Randy has been my partner, my champion and my rock for 17 years," Morgan wrote alongside a photo of the couple. "Our big, wonderful family and I are devastated at the loss of this truly kind and incredible man. I was blessed by his love. Ran-Ran, I will love and miss you forever."
USA TODAY has reached out to Morgan's representative for comment.
White's death comes nearly two months after Morgan, 65, was forced to cancel a pair of performances due to White's ongoing treatment for mouth cancer. Morgan's manager confirmed to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, in April that the Grand Ole Opry star's spouse was recently readmitted to a Tennessee hospital amid the health ordeal.
Mouth cancer, also known as oral cancer, occurs when a growth of cells develops in the mouth, according to Mayo Clinic. The cancer can affect various parts of the mouth, including the lips, gums, tongue, inner lining of the cheeks, and the roof and floor of the mouth.
Morgan's son, fellow singer Jesse Keith Whitley, shared his reaction to White's death in a heartfelt Facebook post. The tribute included a sweet collage of throwback photos of White over the years.
"As I sit here in the room with hospice, I don't know really what to think or to say about this situation," Whitley wrote. "But I can say that the recent years of my life, all the way back to when I was 22-23 years old, this great man has been here and loved my mom and also me (and) my sister as we were his own."
Reflecting on White's impact on Morgan and her family, Whitley said White "has shown unconditional love to my mother and been the most gentle soul to ever grace this entire family."
"As we say our goodbyes, I reminisce of all the good times we have had (and) the battles he has helped overcome," Whitley wrote. "I can't tell you the amount of love that has poured in from fans, family and friends. We will miss you always and forever and our hearts are shattered in losing you. But you have fought one helluva fight RanMan!"
Contributing: Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
McDonald's Snack Wraps are officially coming back: Here's when
McDonald's Snack Wraps are officially coming back: Here's when The wait is almost over. McDonald's confirmed to USA TODAY on Tuesday that the Snack Wrap will officially be coming back to restaurants permanently beginning Thursday, July 10. The Snack Wrap features one of McDonald's new McCrispy Strips – a juicy chicken strip made with all white meat – topped with crisp shredded lettuce and shredded cheese, all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla, according to the chain. The item will be available in two flavors: Spicy: Bold, zesty and unapologetically fiery – our Spicy Snack Wrap brings the heat with a habanero kick that fans know and love from the Spicy McCrispy sandwich. Bold, zesty and unapologetically fiery – our Spicy Snack Wrap brings the heat with a habanero kick that fans know and love from the Spicy McCrispy sandwich. Ranch: Smooth, rich and irresistibly savory – our Ranch Snack Wrap delivers a satisfying burst of cool ranch goodness, with hints of garlic and onion. Customers can order the Snack Wrap a la carte or as a combo meal, which includes two Snack Wraps, medium fries and a drink of choice, according to McDonald's. Fast food wars: Popeyes introduces new Chicken Wraps: See what's in them Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni lawsuit gets messier with legal drama
Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni lawsuit gets messier with legal drama Show Caption Hide Caption Blake Lively's team slams Baldoni's over Taylor Swift subpoena Blake Lively's team has condemned Justin Baldoni's team's decision to subpoena Taylor Swift, calling it a blatant attempt to exploit Lively's friendship for tabloid attention. unbranded - Entertainment A bitter dispute between former costars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is continuing to escalate. In a flurry of filings over the last several days, Baldoni's lawyers sought access to Lively's medical records, and Lively's team withdrew a claim of emotional distress first included in her suit, then accused his team of orchestrating the entire thing as a "public relations stunt." Lively and Baldoni, who co-headlined the 2024 summer blockbuster "It Ends with Us," have since been locked in a court battle over claims of a toxic work environment, rife with sexual misconduct. Lively has alleged rampant harassment by Baldoni, followed by an online smear campaign aimed at keeping her silent, while Baldoni has alleged Lively used her star power to shut him out of the success of a movie that was rightfully his. 'It Ends with Us' was supposed to be a BookTok Hollywood success story. What went wrong? In her original lawsuit against Baldoni, Lively claimed he and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, had caused "intentional infliction of emotional distress." On Monday, June 2, lawyers for Wayferer and Baldoni filed a motion to compel the actress to share her medical records to prove that distress. If Lively had in fact suffered severe emotional damages as the result of "It Ends with Us" filming and the ensuing public relations disaster, they argued, she should need to prove it through medical records – or withdraw the claim and promise not to bring it back up in court. Lively's team, on the other hand, argues that she had agreed to drop the claim as a run of the mill legal proceeding in order to streamline the lawsuit, and that Baldoni's lawyers were attempting to take the move out of context, and blow it out of propotion to create a media narrative. Baldoni's "motion was filed for a single audience: the media," lawyers for Lively wrote in a response filed June 2, accusing Baldoni's team of "desperately searching for an angle to make a show out of Ms. Lively's decision to streamline her case." The filing also alleges that Baldoni's team met with Lively's lawyers and did not raise concerns, only to pull a bait and switch, filing their motion to compel minutes after meeting and alerting the "tabloid" media. "This is a routine part of the litigation process that is being used as a press stunt. We are doing what trial lawyers do: preparing our case for trial by streamlining and focusing it; they are doing what they do: desperately seeking another tired round of tabloid coverage," Lively's lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, wrote in a statement to USA TODAY June 2. USA TODAY has reached out to Baldoni's lawyers for comment. Blake Lively's 'It Ends With Us' allegat 'astroturfing' and when fans feel manipulated "The Baldoni-Wayfarer strategy of filing retaliatory claims has exposed them to expansive new damages claims under California law, rendering certain of Ms. Lively's original claims no longer necessary," the statement continued. "Ms. Lively continues to allege emotional distress, as part of numerous other claims in her lawsuit, such as sexual harassment and retaliation, and massive additional compensatory damages on all of her claims." This legal tit for tat is the latest in an ongoing battle between Lively and Baldoni, who were once poised to be the faces of a film aimed at redefining how audiences view domestic abuse. Swapping lawsuits and increasingly hostile claims, the pair have now found themselves at odds in both the courts and the press. Baldoni and Lively are headed to trial next year.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
New official portrait of President Trump unveiled by White House
Hear this story The White House unveiled President Donald Trump's official portrait this week, replacing an austere photograph that was released for the president's inauguration earlier this year. Introduced in an eight-second video by the White House Monday, June 2, the portrait depicts the president in a blue suit and a red tie against a black backdrop, looking at the camera with a furrowed brow and serious expression. The image is high-contrast, darkly lit and close-up to the president's face. The portrait's lack of background and Trump's unsmiling gaze further differentiates it from those of his predecessors. Nearly all of the last 10 presidents have all smiled in their portraits, ranging from President Richard Nixon's beaming expression to President George W. Bush's grin. Trump's official portrait for his first term was more closely aligned with the traditional portrait style − featuring a smile and a background with the American flag. The new official portrait was installed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and replaced the previous photograph on the White House' biography page for the 47th president. The White House released an official portrait of first lady Melania Trump one week after her husband was sworn into office. The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. has the only complete collection of American presidential portraits outside of the White House available for public viewing, though it is unclear if Trump's recently-unveiled portrait will soon join the exhibit. The new portrait comes after Trump announced May 30 he was firing the gallery's director, Kim Sajet, citing her alleged support of diversity, equity and inclusion. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
