Jeff Carson Dies: Chart-Topping Country Singer-Turned-Policeman Was 58

UPDATED with memorial service information: Jeff Carson, who had 14 songs make it onto the Billboard’s country music charts, died Saturday of a heart attack at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, TN, his publicist said. He was 58.

Carson had hits with “Not On Your Love,” (a No. 1) and “The Car” (in the top five) before leaving the music industry and becoming a police officer. He recently started recording again and released a single in what amounted to a small comeback.

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Born Jeffrey Lee Herndon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1963, Carson sang in church and formed a band in Rogers, Arkansas, before moving to Branson, Missouri, becoming a local attraction in the music town.

Carson then moved to Nashville and recorded demos for Tracy Lawrence, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and other country stars. He received his own recording contract at Curb Records in 1995, and released a single, “Yeah Buddy.” He then recorded the singles “Not On Your Love” and “The Car,” which won Carson his first Academy of Country Music award for video of the year.