Country star Rusty Golden, son of Oak Ridge Boy William Golden, dies at 65

Oak Ridge Boys frontman William Lee Golden is mourning the death of his son, William “Rusty” Golden. According to a statement on the band’s official website, the Country Music Hall of Famer’s son passed away on Monday, July 1, 2024 at the age of 65 at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

“This is the hardest thing a father can face. I love my family more than anything in the world,” William Lee Golden said. “Rusty was a great musician, a talented songwriter and a wonderful son. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers in the days ahead. I love you, my son.”

According to the press release, Rusty was born on January 3, 1959, in Brewton, Alabama, the eldest son of William and Frogene Golden. Although he was named after his father, his family began calling him “Rusty” shortly after his birth.

Rusty grew up in a very musical family, so it’s no surprise that he started showing his own musical talent at a very young age. By the age of 12, he was already playing drums. At 13, he joined The Rambos as a full-time drummer.

But it was an Elton John concert he attended in 1972 that changed his musical career. After the concert, Rusty put the drums aside and began learning to play piano. At 17, he began touring with Larry Gatlin and ended up playing on several studio recordings, including Gatlin’s “Love Is Just A Game” and Marty Stuart’s “Pilgrim,” as well as many other recording projects.

He also collaborated with other groups, including The Boys Band. The group had a Billboard Hot 100 hit with “Please Don’t Stop Me Baby” in 1982. After their breakup in 1984, Rusty earned gold records for his songwriting contributions to The Oak Ridge Boys’ Bobbie Sue as well as for the work he did with the late Barry White. This honor encouraged Rusty to begin writing songs with Marc Speer and the two founded the band Golden Speer in 1985, which featured Rusty’s brother Chris Golden as lead singer. Although their album was never released, Rusty and Chris eventually recorded under a new name, The Goldens, and released two singles as a newly formed duo. In 1990, they released the critically acclaimed album Gold Rush which spawned three hit singles including “Take Me Back to The Country”, “Keep The Faith” and “Long Gone”.

Later in life, Rusty underwent quadruple bypass surgery and returned to his gospel roots. He went on to win several No. 1 Southern gospel songs and two Song of the Year awards for “What Salvation’s Done for Me” by the Booth Brothers and “I Want to Thank You” by Karen Peck & New River.

In early 2020, Rusty and Chris teamed up with their country star father and formed a new family band called William Lee Golden and The Goldens, which included their brother Craig, nieces Elizabeth and Rebekah, and nephew Elijah. They recorded and released 34 songs and eventually toured the country together.

According to the statement published on the official Oak Ridge Boys website: “Rusty Golden will be remembered as a charismatic entertainer, able to hold an audience in the palm of his hand with his energetic live performances.”

Funeral and memorial details are currently pending and will be available here.