Jim Glaser Dead at 81

Jim Glaser, a country solo artist and member of the sibling trio Tompall and the Glaser Brothers, has died. He was 81 years old.

Glaser died on Saturday (April 6) of a heart attack, according to a post on his official Facebook page. His family, in the message, writes, "He leaves us with years and years of wonderful memories and great music."

"A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for supporting Jim and his music all of these years," the Facebook statement continues. "He loved and appreciated you all very much."

The youngest of the Glaser Brothers, James Williams Glaser was born on Dec. 16, 1936, in Spalding, Neb., to parents Alice Marie Harriet Davis and Louis Nicholas Glaser. Alongside brothers Tompall and Chuck, he gained early career experience as a backup singer for Marty Robbins.

A run as a trio followed between the late 1950s and early '80s, culminating with a 1981 version of Kris Kristofferson's "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do)" that reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts. Glaser also found success as a songwriter, with his better-known compositions including Skeeter Davis' "What Does It Take" and Liz Anderson's "Thanks a Lot for Tryin' Anyway."

As a solo artist, Glaser made a name for himself with the 1983 album Man in the Mirror, anchored by the Glaser family's lone No. 1 hit, "You're Getting to Me Again." The album and single earned him, then a 47-year-old veteran of country music, the 1984 ACM for Best New Male Vocalist.

Following Man in the Mirror, Glaser earned two more Top 50 albums. Past the Point of No Return, released in 1984, and 1985's Everybody Knows I'm Yours, helped carry the new traditionalist load alongside Randy Travis.

In their Facebook post, Glaser's family says that memorial service details have not yet been confirmed. They will be shared when they're available.

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