May 6, 2008 — George "Leo" Jackson — a guitar player who’s appeared on recordings by Country Music Hall of Famers Jim Reeves, George Strait and Tom T. Hall — died Sunday at his home outside of Nashville from an apparent suicide.
Leo, who was 73, had been diagnosed with cancer in 2002. Two years ago, he was told he had cellulitis, a rare skin ailment, in his thumb, preventing him from playing guitar again. He had undergone minor surgery last week and was on medication for a persistent back pain that flared up again the day he shot himself.
"On top of the operation, I guess it was just too much for him," son Leo Jackson told The Tennessean.
Leo played two stints as a member of Jim Reeves’ Blue Boys. He was, in fact, a guitarist in the band at the time Jim died in a famous plane crash in 1964. The Blue Boys went on to make four albums on their own in the next four years. Leo would also become a well-regarded session musician. Among the hits that have featured his work are the George Strait singles "Right Or Wrong" and "Let’s Fall To Pieces Together," Jim Reeves’ "Distant Drums," Moe Bandy’s "It’s A Cheating Situation" and Moe’s duet with Joe Stampley, "Just Good Ol’ Boys."
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