Country icon Wayne Secrest dead at 68

Wayne Secrest, one of the founding members of country-rock band Confederate Railroad, has passed away. He was 68 years old.

On June 2, 2018, Confederate Railroad shared the news of Secrest's death on Facebook.

'It is with profound sorrow we announce that Wayne Secrest has passed away after a long illness,' the band wrote. 'Wayne played bass with Confederate Railroad through the Johnny Paycheck and David Allan Coe years and continued until his health forced him to retire in late 2017. We shared millions of miles, thousands of concerts and a lifetime of memories. Wayne’s memory will live on in every note we play for as long as you allow us to continue.'

Secrest's former bandmate, Cody McCarver, paid tribute to his longtime friend in a poignant Facebook post.

'Last night the world lost a great man. My friend for years and a friend to many many people,' McCarver, now a solo artist, wrote. 'He was a bass player but more than that he was an awesome person. This Sunday morning he is rejoicing with Jesus in heaven... I have no doubt. No more pain brother.'

In 1987, Secrest, who was born in April 1950, founded Confederate Railroad with Danny Shirley, Michael Lamb, Gates Nichols, Chris McDaniel and Mark Dufresne.

Before the band signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1992, they first performed in bars and clubs. They also served as the backing band for both David Allan Coe's and Johnny Paycheck.

Confederate Railroad became one of the hottest bands of the '90s. They had several hit songs, including Trashy Women, Daddy Never Was The Cadillac Kind, Jesus and Mama, and Queen of Memphis.

The band won Best New Group at the 1993 ACM Awards.

In 2010, they released their first live album, Confederate Railroad Live: Back to the Barrooms.

Their most recent album, Lucky to Be Alive, was released in 2016.

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