Stand-up comedian and country singer Tim Wilson, who infused original songs into his comedy, died in Columbus, Ga., on Wednesday night of a massive heart attack, his manager Chris Dipetta told TODAY.
Wilson, 52, drove to Columbus from a gig in Michigan to visit his brother en route to a weekend show in Birmingham, Ala. when he started feeling ill, said Dipetta, who worked with Wilson for 30 years.
"I talked to him yesterday afternoon and said he felt bad, was short of breath, and I said, 'get to the hospital now," said Dipetta, fighting tears. "His brother took him to the hospital and he had a massive heart attack and passed away at 9:15 p.m."
Although Wilson was not a household name, he had a strong and expansive following that admired his humorous country songs such as "Garth Brooks Ruined My Life" and "First Baptist Bar & Grill." He also co-wrote Jeff Foxworthy’s hit “The Redneck 12 Days of Christmas.”
“The cyber world is sort of the Wild, Wild West, and to some degree, we’re asked to be the sheriff.”