Miranda Lambert Mourns Passing of Longtime Songwriter, Guitarist

Scotty Wray, Miranda Lambert’s guitarist of 20 years, has passed away.

“[He] was one of my most treasured friends, band mates and road family members,” said Lambert, who then went on to share that she and Wray initially met in 2001, when she was just 17.

“That was the beginning of our journey together. We went through so much life together on and off the stage,” she continued. “We wrote songs, played gig after gig, fought, cried, laughed and even got matching arrow tattoos after we made it out of some rough patches together.”

Wray was country star Collin Raye’s older brother. The singer shared that his brother had been “suffering from an illness for some time,” and that he died at the end of last week in a care facility in Arkansas. Raye spent several hours with his brother the day before he passed, “telling stories, reminiscing and laughing.”

“He was the one I could count on,” Lambert shared. “Always. No matter what. If he was there on my right side I felt like I could take on the world. Scotty Wray was family to me and I’ll never sing a note without him because I know he is there with me. He always has been. I love you my sweet Bud Wray. Heaven is lucky cause that honky tonk band up there just gained another guitar pickin’ angel. Rest easy my love.”

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