Country artist Jeff Carson dies after heart attack

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Country music award-winner Jeff Carson died of a heart attack on Saturday, his publicist announced. He was 58.

Carson retired from music in 2009 to become a police officer with the Franklin Police Department and remained an officer when he died.

“It’s hard to believe he’s gone. One thing is for certain – Franklin Police Officer Jeff Carson changed everyone he met, all of us, for the better!” the Franklin Police Department said in post on social media. “Thank you, Jeff, for your life of service and song.”

Jeffrey Lee Herndon, known musically by Jeff Carson, was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Dec. 16, 1963, and began his musical career early on singing in church. After forming a band in Rogers, Arkansas, Carson eventually moved to Branson, Missouri, where he wrote songs and played locally before moving to Nashville where he began recording demos, including Tracy Byrd (“Walkin’ to Jerusalem”), Tracy Lawrence (“I See It Now!”), Reba McEntire (“The Heard Is A Lonely Hunter), Tim McGraw (”I Wouldn’t Want It Any Other Way”), Faith Hill (“It Matters To Me”), Mark Wills (“Places I’ve Never Been”), Diamond Rio (“Mirror Mirror”) among others.

In 1995, Chuck Howard was instrumental in getting Carson his recording contract at Curb Record, and soon a single, “Yeah Buddy,” was released to radio. This was his first charting single and was followed up with “Not on Your Love,” which went No. 1. The following single, “The Car,” became a top-five hit, topping out at No. 2, and won Carson his first Academy of Country Music award for “Video of the Year.” In total, Carson’s career achieved 14 charted singles on the Billboard chart.

Carson returned to music in 2019 singing a singles deal with MC1 Nashville to recut and release a previously recorded song “God Save The World,” which charted on the Music Row Top 40 chart. Most recently he signed with Encore Music Group and has been in the studio with Buddy Hyatt recording a specialty album to released later this year that included duets with Michael Ray, Darryl Worley, Mark Wills and Craig Morgan.

Last Sunday Carson was involved in a benefit concert for Franklin Police Sgt. Sean Finn, who has been hospitalized with COVID pneumonia since Jan. 1.

Carson is survived by his wife Kim Cooper Carson, son Dayton Grei Herndon Carson, mother Virginia Norton, brother Steve Herndon, sister Karen Spurlock, as well as aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

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