Williamson County, TN Medical Examine made the ruling
Singer/songwriter Tom T Hall’s death in August 2021 has been ruled a suicide. Saving Country Music broke the news on Wednesday (Jan 5th), stating it reviewed the Williamson County, Tennessee Medical Examiner’s report after investigating rumors of a reported suicide.
The report, conducted by Samuel Smith MD of Williamson County, Tennessee, says the 85 year old Hall “had sustained an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, to the head, on the morning of 8/20/2021. A 911 call was placed at 1115 hours on 8/20/2021. Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and Williamson Medical Emergency Medical Services (WMC EMS) responded to the call. Paramedics confirmed death at approximately 1133 hours, due to obvious injuries.”
No cause of death was revealed when Hall’s passing was announced by his son Dean, who’s also a musician. The younger Dean deactivated his social media accounts shortly after his father’s death announcement and has not commented publicly on the matter.
Rumors say Hall was suffering from numerous health problems when he died, but the autopsy report doesn’t mention any specific ailments. However, at the time of his death, the report mentions Hall using the prescription drug Chlordiazepoxide, which is used to treat anxiety and alcohol withdrawal.
Hall, who was given the nickname “The Storyteller” by Tex Ritter, penned many hits, including Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley PTA,” Jimmy C. Newman’s “D. J. for a Day,” and earning his first-ever No. 1 with Johnnie Wright’s “Hello Vietnam” in 1965.
Born May 25, 1936, in Olive Hill, Kentucky, Hall showed wrote his first song at age nine and then began playing in bands as a teenager. He wrote a jingle for a radio sponsor and became a DJ before joining the Army in 1957. He moved to Nashville in 1964, following a stint in the military.
