Laurie Lynn Larson

Laurie Lynn Larson, country music business veteran and wife of singer-songwriter Karen Staley passed away Monday morning from sudden complications of a recurrence with Ovarian/Peritoneal cancer. She had been cancer free for over 3 years before it returned. She saw many miracles and lived well past the average survival rate with an exceptionally high quality of life due to her endless optimism, self advocacy, tireless research and devout faith in the Lord. She didn't lose her battle with cancer, she won her heavenly reward 14 days shy of her 61st earthly birthday.

Born and raised in Littleton, CO she became a fan of country music and singer songwriters as a teen. Ironically, she couldn't carry a tune in 5 buckets but had an amazing ear for melodies and a deep love of great lyrics. So much that she moved to Nashville in 1983 where she studied Sales and Marketing at Lipscomb and then finished out at Belmont with a transfer scholarship to study Music Business.

Her first job on Music Row was writing copy for Jeff Walker at Aristo Media.. She also worked at the original Country Music Hall of Fame. Her 11 yr stint with the Crook & Chase TV Show also took her to Los Angeles for 2 years where they filmed on the lot of Universal Studios. Her only regret was the pre-selfie world of not being allowed to take pictures with the guests. She would have given her eye teeth for a shot with Debbie Reynolds and Phyllis Diller. Although she loved California, her heart longed for TN.

After leaving Crook & Chase she did marketing for Mercy Ministries organizing the 2000 Mercy Project that included Amy Grant, Michelle Tumes, Point of Grace, Donna Summer and Martina McBride. She then went out on her own to manage successful musical motivational speakers like Jana Stanfield, Robin Crowe (Dark Horse Studio) and others. Through working with Jana she got to do several "voluntourism" trips, her favorite being the life changing blessing of building schools for girls in Bali.

One her favorite productions to be a part of was being assistant producer on the 2003 Alabama Farewell Tour documentary (the first one !)

After the 2008 years long recession hit in corporate conferences and events Laurie made a career change and began working in sales for Senior Living facilities while still working with hit singer songwriter corporate team builder Karen Staley who she met in 2011.She had been working on weekends at an assisted living facility as a ministry when a rare fulltime job opportunity came up. She spent the next 10 years not only winning sales awards but advocating to improve the broken system her impeccable reputation was tied to. Her eyes were opened when she moved her inlaws into the facility she worked at. During her time at Belmont Village Senior Living she produced 5 highly successful "Bluebird At The Belmont" songwriter shows with her by now wife Karen Staley, that raised money for the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging. The perennial favorite featured iconic writers like Tony Arata, Bob Dipiero, Allen Shamblin, Jeff Trott, Jon Night, Billy Montana, Aaron Barker, Doc Holladay, Keith Burns, Heidi Newfield, Jimmy Nichols, Jill Colluci & Pam Rose.

Laurie counts as one of her proudest moments as facilitating the recording of Karen's love story to TN song "I'll Leave My Heart In Tennessee" recorded by bluegrass icons and Opry members Daily & Vincent. It was later unanimously voted in the TN Legislature in 2022 as the 11th Official Tennessee State Song. The song laments about the "progress" of their beloved TN from the point of view of being a "loyal immigrant, not a Native Son" who like Pennsylvanian Staley and Coloradoan Larson adopted TN as their true home.

Although some of Laurie's varied passions were cutting edge Alternative Medicine, fashion, pets, Crypto and Patriotism her raison d'être was studying the Bible, spending quantity and quality time with Jesus and sharing the gospel through example to all she encountered. Integrity, work ethic, kindness joy and "finishing well" made up her DNA. Few are so universally beloved. She indeed "finished well".

Larson is survived by her wife of 14 years Karen Staley, whom she credits for teaching her the value of gallows humor, cousins Tamara, Terry & Dean Berry, and their children Taylor, Aubrey, Jasmine and Jade Berry. She wanted to thank from the bottom of her heart her beloved friends, family, The Girls, Falls Grove Framily along with the amazingly competent and compassionate staffs of 7th Floor Stringfield at St Thomas Midtown, IV Solutions, Wholetones, Dr Stephen Cantrell, Dr Stephens Dudley, and the incomparable angels of Alive Home Hospice.

Laurie will be interred with a Green Burial in the pasture of Staley's beloved former Scarlet Sun Farm now called White Oak Farm in Franklin on Friday, March 6th at 5:00 PM before sunset. She wanted to be in her beloved TN soil, covered by wildflowers, trees and running horses.

In lieu of flowers please donate to Alive Hospice at Development@alivehospice..org