Ronnie Bowman's Obituary
Ronnie Bowman passed away on Sunday, March 22, due to a motorcycle accident in Nashville, TN. He was 64. His passing has left his large circle of family, loved ones, and admirers heartbroken.
For more than four decades, Ronnie earned success as a recording artist, instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. His immense talent and hard work led to rare career longevity, critical acclaim, and lasting contributions to American roots music. But it’s how Ronnie loved other people, so earnestly, openly, and dependably, that defines him.
Boyishly handsome, Ronnie had a huge smile that wrinkled his dark brown eyes, and he was always smiling. In conversations, co-writing sessions, or brief exchanges, he was quick with a joke and eager to listen. Ronnie made everyone feel special because to him, everybody mattered.
Raised in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Ronnie sang gospel music soon after he started talking, playing in his family band with his four sisters in churches throughout North Carolina and Virginia. In 1987, he joined seminal bluegrass outfit Lost & Found, and began making his unforgettable mark on Southern music. Three years later, he joined the profoundly influential Lonesome River Band as vocalist and bassist, playing alongside Sammy Shelor, Dan Tyminski, and Tim Austin. The group’s 1991 album Carrying the Tradition garnered International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honors for Album of the Year. Released in 1994, the band’s follow-up Old Country Town further endeared the Lonesome River Band’s contemporary bluegrass to new generations of players and fans.
Released in 1994, Ronnie’s solo album debut Cold Virginia Night clinched IBMA Album of the Year in 1995, while the title track earned IBMA Song of the Year. Two pivotal albums for Sugar Hill followed: 1998’s The Man I’m Tryin’ to Be, which included IBMA and Gospel Performance of the Year “Three Rusty Nails,” and 2002’s Starting Over, which featured several songs produced by heavyweight Don Cook. Ronnie’s smooth tenor wove stories of heartbreak, faith, and love with tenderness and warmth. The IBMA named him Male Vocalist of the Year three times: 1995, 1998, and 1999.
Ronnie continued to record beloved solo projects, free to explore and create on his own terms. In 2005, Ronnie released It’s Gettin’ Better All the Time, and in 2019, he released Ronnie Bowman.
In 2001, between his second and third solo albums, Ronnie signed with Sony Tree Publishing and relocated to Nashville, where he quickly found success as a songwriter. He landed his first no. 1 record with “It’s Getting Better All the Time,” written with Don Cook and recorded by Brooks & Dunn. Next, Kenny Chesney shot to no. 1 with “Never Wanted Nothing More,” penned by Ronnie and Chris Stapleton. Kindred spirits and strong collaborators, Ronnie and Chris also co-wrote Chris’ “Nobody to Blame” with Barry Bales, “Outlaw State of Mind” with Jerry Salley and “More of You” for Chris’ Grammy-winning album Traveller. “Nobody to Blame” secured ACM Song of the Year honors as well. In 2023, Chris released the Grammy-winning “It Takes a Woman,” which he co-wrote with Ronnie and Jerry. The list of artists who relied on Ronnie for songs is long and distinguished: Lee Ann Womack recorded Ronnie’s “The Healing Kind,” written with Greg Luck, for her I Hope You Dance album, while George Strait, Don Williams, Jake Owen, The Isaacs, and many others also recorded his songs. His long list of collaborators included John Fogarty, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss and Del McCoury. Ronnie’s songwriting never dimmed: In 2018, he signed a publishing deal with Eclipse Music where he continued to write until his passing.
Ronnie married Garnet Imes on September 29th, 2002. It is impossible to think of Ronnie without thinking of Garnet. The two were inseparable: a real-life example of the love idealized in songs and poems, offering proof to anyone who encountered them that soulmates do exist.
Ronnie became an American roots music legend, but the roles most precious to him were personal. He was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and son who loved deeply.
Ronnie was preceded in death by his sister Vikki Bowman; mother Hazel Bowman; grandparents William Lee and Mary Belle Bowman, brother-in-law David Brown; father-in-law Robert Imes; and brother-in-law Robert Imes, Jr.
Ronnie is survived by his beloved wife of 23 years Garnet Bowman; mother-in-law Janet Imes; his daughters Chassidy Bowman Miller and her husband Scott and Christy Bowman Bottoms and her husband Shawn; sisters and brothers-in-law Debbie Bowman Miller, Becky and Terry Dixon, and Kathy Brown; his father Colonel Bowman; and grandchildren Eliza Grace Miller, Isaiah Allan Miller, Madison Claire Bottoms and Abigail Eve Bottoms.
We know that Ronnie is with his Savior Jesus in Heaven, although he is terribly missed here on Earth. Ronnie’s own words offer us some comfort:
Life’s just a moment, but love has no end. Remember I love you, sweetheart, till we meet again.
Goodbye for now, Ronnie. We’ll see you again.
A service honoring Ronnie Bowman will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at NorthField Church (2100 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN 37066). Visitation is from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with the service beginning at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to MusicCares or Gunnison Tough. A Celebration of Life will follow at a later date.
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