John Wesley Ryles

John Wesley Ryles, the country singer who scored an early Top 10 hit with "Kay" and went on to become one of Nashville's most valued harmony and session vocalists, died November 2, 2025. He was 74.

Born December 2, 1950, in Bastrop, Louisiana, Ryles came to national attention as a teenager when "Kay" reached the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot Country Singles in 1968. The song was the title track of his Columbia debut and remains his signature recording.

After early success, Ryles recorded through the 1970s and 1980s for labels including ABC/Dot and MCA. He logged multiple charting singles, notably the No. 5 country hit "Once in a Lifetime Thing" (1977), and other cuts such as "Fool," "Liberated Woman" and a charting version of "Always on My Mind."

By the late 1980s, Ryles had shifted primarily to background and session vocals, work that made his voice a familiar, if often uncredited, presence on Nashville records for decades. The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum noted that he "performed for decades as a background singer on countless Nashville recordings," with credits touching "more than twenty-five members of the Country Music Hall of Fame."

Ryles is survived by his wife, singer Joni Lee (also known as Joni Twitty), daughter of country star Conway Twitty.

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)