Troy Gentry, one half of the popular country duo Montgomery Gentry, has died. 50-year-old Gentry was on his way to a gig in New Jersey when the helicopter he was in crashed near the airport in Medford around 1:00 ET Friday afternoon.

He was born in Lexington, Kentucky where he also met bandmate Eddie Montgomery. The duo had five number one songs including Something To Be Proud Of and had several other hits enjoyed by KUZZ listeners over the years. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009.

Montgomery Gentry had been scheduled to perform at the Kern County Fair on September 28th. The venue has not yet named a replacement act.

Kelli Forsch