Bill Cody, Grand Ole Opry Announcer and WSM Morning Host, Dies

Bill Cody died on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, after a battle with heart and kidney failure. WSM Radio announced his death on Facebook, describing him as a “dear friend and beloved WSM voice.” In May, his daughter Hannah disclosed his critical condition and need for transplants; his son David thanked supporters for prayers.

Bill Cody dies at 67: What we know about Grand Ole Opry announcer's illness

Born Trent Clutts in Alabama, Cody began radio work at 12 and joined Lexington’s WVLK at 17, adopting the on-air name Bill Cody. He started at WSM-AM in April 1994; his first guest was Charlie Daniels. For three decades he hosted “Coffee, Country & Cody,” Opry Country Classics, and Tennessee’s Wild Side on PBS. He entered the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2008, earned a Music City Walk of Fame star in 2024, and will be posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.

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WSM tribute praised Cody’s “kindness, humility, and genuine gift for connection” and announced a marathon of moments from “Coffee, Country & Cody.” Grand Ole Opry Entertainment CEO Patrick Moore lauded Cody’s “profound gravitas, incredible voice, and infectious enthusiasm for country music.” The Opry will dedicate its Saturday night broadcast to him, and WSM will air the marathon.

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Garth Brooks said no one loved country music more than Cody. Dierks Bentley called him a “pillar of country music” essential to Nashville’s cultural fabric. Carly Pearce called him a friend who devoted his life to telling country music’s story and said she will miss him “on this side of heaven.”

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Sources list Cody’s age as 67 (Variety, Rolling Stone, Billboard) or 73 (Fox 17). All agree on his WSM tenure, heart and kidney failure, and the planned Opry dedication and WSM marathon; no further medical details have been released.

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• “There might be someone somewhere in the world who loved country music as much, but nobody loved country music more than Bill Cody.” — Garth Brooks, Country Singer

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• “Country music has lost one of its pillars. Bill was just as important to the fabric of our music and city as any artist, songwriter or musician.” — Dierks Bentley, Country Singer

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• “He devoted his life to telling the story of country music. He was my friend. I will miss him on this side of heaven.” — Carly Pearce, Country Singer

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• “Everyone at the Grand Ole Opry, in country music, in Nashville — and across the country — will remember Bill for his profound gravitas, his incredible voice, and his positive and infectious enthusiasm for country music.” — Patrick Moore, CEO, Opry Entertainment

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