GhLinks Media
Singer-songwriter Larysa Jaye died in a car accident in Nashville at 40 years old on Sunday, Dec. 8. In the midst of Jaye’s death, the Nashville music community mourns her loss.
The Kansas City, KS native and acoustic soul musician influenced younger Nashville performers and left her mark on the city’s music scene.
She wrote powerful songs of motherhood and broke down walls for Black women in country music spaces.
Jaye performed at popular writer’s rounds, the Black Opry, and was the only Black woman with a current artist residency on Lower Broadway in Nashville at Justin Timberlake’s Twelve Thirty Club.
Travelers could often find Jaye at BNA International Airport where she regularly sang at restaurants and performance posts.
Jaye performed to her largest crowd, an audience of over 30,000 people, at the opening of a Nashville Major League Soccer team game.
A graduate of The Academy of Country Music’s OnRamp Program, Jaye was also a member of The Recording Academy, The Black Music Action Coalition, and the Black Opry.
She sang with notable performers Lauren Daigle, Danny Gokey, Carrie Underwood and collaborated Kevin Max.
Over her career, Jaye garnered multiple nominations for the Nashville Independent Spirit Award, served as musical director for the Summer Shakespeare series in Nashville, TN and Franklin, TN, and was named as a talent for The National Museum of African American Music’s Emerging Artist program.
She started writing Christian music at 16 years old in Nashville and became an official recording artist in the late 2010s, coming to be known for tracks “Birmingham (Side by Side),” “Just Like That,” “The Thoughts That Happen,” and more. Jaye released her most recent single, “I Don’t Do Love,” on Sept. 13.
She is survived by her four children, Sydney, Kadyn, Kingston and Shakira, her parents Wendell and Sharon Hamilton, and her three brothers, Carlos, Wendell Jr. and Nathan.
Nashville music scene mourns loss of Larysa Jaye, raises memorial funds
Jaye’s friend and publicist, David Hawkins, started a fund to raise money for her memorial needs.
“Due to an overwhelmingly high volume of outreach and interest, we wanted to give Larysa’s friends, colleagues and fans an opportunity to help,” he said.
Individuals can donate to Jaye’s memorial fund at gofundme.com.
In the midst of Jaye’s death, many community leaders and musicians have spoken out.
Country in Color, a collective that aims to “enrich Nashville’s music scene by providing a stage for multicultural artists,” posted on social media that they would be honoring Jaye’s life at their next show. Jaye had a Country in Color spotlight performance slated for Dec. 14 at Wedge Pizza and Pub.
“We will be dedicating our next show and after speaking with @thebestjasonintheworld of @guidancewhiskey they will be doing the same,” Country in Color said.
