Country Star Dies at 78

Country star K.T. Oslin has died at age 78. The hitmaking singer-songwriter passed away on Monday morning in Nashville, Tenn., her friend Robert K. Oermann told the Associated Press. Although her cause of death is unknown, it has been reported that Oslin had battled Parkinson’s disease and tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

Oslin, whose real name is Kay Toinette Oslin, shot to fame in 1987 following the release of her debut album "80's Ladies," reported Rolling Stone. She was 45-years-old at the time and became a country star overnight. The release went on to sell more than 1 million copies and earned Oslin a Grammy as well as a spot in history after becoming the first woman to win a CMA Award for Song of the Year in 1988. That same year, the songbird also won two Grammy Awards for her song "Hold Me."

In the early '90s, Oslin stopped regular touring to focus on building a career as an actor. She appeared in various TV series as well as films including "The Thing Called Love" (1993), "Poisoned by Love: The Kern County Murders" (1993), and White Palace (1990), according to IMDB.

In 1996, Oslin released the album, "My Roots Are Showing" and nearly 20 years later, she dropped "Simply." Oslin was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

"K.T. Oslin had one of the most soulful voices in Country Music and was a strong influence for women with her hit '80’s Ladies,'" said Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association. "I was fortunate to work with K.T. on a number of television shows in the late 90s. She was always gracious to the crews and up-and-coming talent performing alongside her. She truly had one of the best voices in the history of our format. Our thoughts go out to her loved ones at this difficult time."

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