Daron Jay Norwood (September 30, 1965 – July 22, 2015) was an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer. He released two albums for Giant Records and charted six times on

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

Musical career

Signed to Giant Records in 1993, he released two albums with the label, ''

Daron Norwood Daron Jay Norwood (September 30, 1965 – July 22, 2015) was an American country music singer. He released two albums for Giant Records (Warner), Giant Records and charted six times on Hot Country Songs. Musical career Signed to Giant Records (W ...

'' (1994) and '' Ready, Willing and Able'' (1995), and charted six singles on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

charts. Two singles off his debut album, " If It Wasn't For Her I Wouldn't Have You" and " Cowboys Don't Cry", both made the country Top 40. The title track of his second album was later a Top 20 hit in 1996 for

Lari White Lari Michele White Cannon (, ; May 13, 1965 – January 23, 2018) was an American country musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her debut in 1988 after winning ''You Can Be a Star'', a televised talent competition o ...

. In late 1994, Norwood co-wrote and sang "Little Boy Lost" on the

BNA Records BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, was a label group that shared ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, ...

album '' Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album'', a tribute to

Keith Whitley Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, 1954 – May 9, 1989) was an American country music and bluegrass singer and songwriter. During his career, he released only two albums, but charted 12 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and seven more af ...

which featured a mix of original songs, covers of Whitley's material, and new compositions. Norwood also sang "Working Elf Blues" on the 1995 multi-artist album ''Giant Country Christmas, Volume 1''.

Personal life and death

On November 5, 1995, Norwood decided to retire because of his addiction to alcohol. He told the ''Lubbock-Avalanche Journal'' that during that time period, he consumed 20 to 25 shots of

Jack Daniel's Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey produced at Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, which has been owned by the Brown–Forman Corporation since 1956. Packaged in square bottles, Jack Daniel's "Black Label" Tennessee wh ...

a night. Norwood also served as a motivational speaker. His program, called "Keep It Straight", was developed to warn children of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Daron married Suella McCarty on July 5, 2009, which the couple had one son. Norwood also had three daughters from previous marriages. Norwood was found dead in his apartment in

Hereford, Texas Hereford ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Deaf Smith County, Texas, United States. It is 48 miles southwest of Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo. Its population was 14,972 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is the only incorporated ...

, by his landlord on the afternoon of July 22, 2015. The

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

reported he was last seen the previous night by friends. Hereford police spokesperson, Capt. Kirsten Williams, stated on July 23 that Norwood's body showed no signs of trauma and that investigators did not suspect foul play. Williams further stated that cause of death was still pending.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Other charted songs

Music videos

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norwood, Daron 1965 births 2015 deaths American country singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from Texas Giant Records (Warner) artists People from Tahoka, Texas American motivational speakers 20th-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American singer-songwriters People from Hereford, Texas Country musicians from Texas 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers