Country Singer Vern Gosdin Dies Aged 74

Acclaimed country singer Vern Gosdin has died at the age of 74.

The Albama born singer suffered a stroke earlier this month and was under observation in hospital before he died in the early hours of Tuesday morning (April 28).

Gosdin found fame in the 1960s as a member of the Golden State Boys, and then formed The Gosdin Brothers with his brother Rex.

He took time out from the music industry in the 70s and operated a glass company, before returning to the spotlight as a solo singer in 1976.

Gosdin hit the U.S. charts many times in the 1980s, with tracks such as I'm Still Crazy and Set 'Em Up Joe and went on to win the Los Angeles Times Best Country Album Of The Year award for 1984s There Is A Season.

Stars have come out to pay tribute to the singer, with Grammy Award-winning George Strait saying, "He was one hell of a country singer and helped me out a lot on my very first tour."

Fellow country singer Josh Turner adds, "The news of Vern's death puts me beyond sad. He was one of my unofficial vocal coaches. He taught me what 'country soul music' was. Country music has lost one of its ambassadors."