Penny Jackson Ragsdale, wife of Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Stevens, has passed following a prolonged battle with cancer. Penny died at her Nashville home yesterday, Dec. 31, shortly before midnight. She was 78.
Penny is survived by Ray Stevens (her husband of more than 60 years), two daughters (Timi and Suzi), four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Please send your thoughts and prayers to Ray and his family during this difficult time.
And now he’s paring down his live shows.
Keep reading to learn more about the man who’s been entertaining audiences for six decades!</strong
Shortly after, his country-novelty song, “The Streak,” which talked about the streaking craze, reached transatlantic audiences, reaching number one in both the U.S and British charts. Years later, a clip of the song was featured in an episode of The Simpsons.
Since then, the Country Music Hall of Fame member, who over a career spanning 60 years has more than 40 million albums sold, has been entertaining audiences with pop, rock, bluegrass, and comedy.