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How did J.D. Crowe die? Fans mourn Kentucky's Bluegrass legend's death at 84

A Twitter user wrote, "He will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play bluegrass music. He had tone, taste and TIMING like no other."

Another legendary music maestro has shuffled off his mortal coil. Lexington, Kentucky native J.D. Crowe died on January 24, hours before Christmas Eve aged 84. The news was confirmed by his son David who shared the news with Kentucky Country Music's Facebook page. "Earlier this morning, we received the news of the passing of J.D. Crowe, as confirmed by his son David. You could not have found a nicer guy in the world of bluegrass than Crowe. One of the hardest working guys in the music business, he was also a hoot to be around," the post read. 

The Grammy-winning artist joined the likes of Dominican musical legend Johnny Ventura, Charles Elias Ingalls, Greg Gilbert, trans pop star Sophie, Jay Jay Phillips, and Skilyr Hicks who all, unfortunately, lost their lives in 2021. Crowe first rose to prominence in the '50s for his collaborations with Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys. He then began performing with the Kentucky Mountain Boys in the '60s which went on for another decade. The Grammy nod came in 1983 for 'Fireball' for the Country Instrumental of the Year category. 

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How did J.D. Crowe die?

The banjo legend's death news comes after a spell of hospitalization and a stay at a rehab center late last month. According to Bluegrass Today, he was expected to return home on December 20 to be around family for Christmas. David said Crowe, who had a new album coming out with Rickey Wasson, was doing much better. Titled 'Crowe & Wasson', the album was recorded in the late '90s when the two worked together and the rest was cut during the last few years. Coming back to the cause of his death, the Facebook post announcing his death mentioned, "We will have a complete bio and funeral info available soon."

Fans of the music legend thronged to social media to express their grief. Billy Strings tweeted, "Woke up this morning to hear the sad news about J.D. Crowe. What can I say? He was an absolute legend. He will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play bluegrass music. He had tone, taste and TIMING like no other." Another user who had mutual acquaintances with Crowe tweeted, "Rip J.D. Crowe. One of the best to ever do it. Him and Doyle Lawson we’re best friends and when I met Doyle back in the fall I got a chance to talk to him and hear some stories about their relationship. I’ll be listening to a lot of J.D. Crowe this Christmas." A third tweeted, "RIP J.D. Crowe! A Kentucky and Bluegrass legend, hall of famer, and someone who has had a massive impact on the growth of Bluegrass music as a whole. J.D. Crowe & The New South taught me a lot about music through the years and those records are still some of my favorites." To access more fan tributes, click here.