The son and frequent collaborator of Oak Ridge Boy William Lee Golden passed away Monday at age 65.
All of us at Cowboys & Indians are sending prayers and condolences to family of Rusty Golden, the son of Oak Ridge Boy William Lee Golden who joined his father and brothers on a slew of musical collaborations, and established himself as a noteworthy solo artist, songwriter and award-winning keyboard player, during his decades-long career. He passed away Monday at age 65 in his Hendersonville, Tennessee home.
“This is the hardest thing ever for a father to have to face," William Lee Golden said Tuesday in a statement. “I love my family more than anything. Rusty was a great musician, a talented songwriter, and a wonderful son. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers for the days ahead. I love you, son.”
Rusty was born January 3, 1959, in Brewton, Alabama, as the eldest son of William Lee and Frogene Golden. His given name was William Lee Golden, Jr. — but his family began calling him “Rusty” shortly after his birth. Not surprisingly, music was a constant presence in the Golden household. In fact, by the age of 13, Rusty already was playing drums professionally for The Rambos, featuring legendary songwriter Dottie Rambo.
Rusty’s own songwriting career was influenced by his grandmother and great-grandfather’s love of poetry. His paternal grandmother was a prolific poet, with her work often published in their town’s newspaper. Early on, Rusty grasped the connection between words and music. Indeed, he composed his first song by setting his grandmother’s poetry to music.
In 1972, his musical life took a significant turn when he attended an Elton John concert. After this show, Rusty passed the drumsticks over to his brother Chris and started learning how to play the piano. By 17, he started touring as keyboardist for Larry Gatlin, and eventually played on several studio recordings, including Gatlin’s Love Is Just A Game and Marty Stuart’s concept album The Pilgrim.
After several other solo and collaborative musical projects — he received an RIAA Gold Record for his songwriting contributions on The Oak Ridge Boys’ 1982 Bobbie Sue album — Rusty had what his publicist cheekily describes as “a change of heart” after quadruple bypass surgery. He returned to his gospel roots, writing several No. 1 Southern Gospel songs, and received two Song of the Year awards for “What Salvation’s Done for Me” (recorded by The Booth Brothers), and “I Want to Thank You” (Karen Peck & New River).
“Until the Lord calls me away from this world to the next, I want to make it clear that I believe in Jesus Christ as the true Lord and Savior. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, was sacrificed on the cross, died for our sins, and rose again. HE loves us.” — Rusty Golden
In March 2020, during the early stages of the Covid lockdown, Rusty and Chris joined their father and brother Craig to lay the groundwork for a family band called William Lee Golden and The Goldens. Joined by nieces Elizabeth and Rebekah and nephew Elijah to make it a three-generation ensemble, they recorded enough music between 2020 and 2021 for a total of than three albums — Old Country Church Gospel, Country Roads: Vintage Country Classics, and Southern Accents: Pop & Country Rock — containing over 30 songs encompassing several genres. One of those songs, the classic “Four Walls,” had its music video premiere on the C&I website.
The family performed together several times at the Grand Ole Opry — where, in 2023, Rusty stepped onstage solo to be recognized for his individual gifts as a musician when he was awarded Keyboard Player of The Year by the Josie Music Awards.
Funeral/memorial details are pending and will be made available at williamleegoldenandthegoldens.com and their Facebook page: facebook.com/WLGandTheGoldens.
