Red Dirt Legend Brandon Jenkins Passes Away After Heart Surgery Complications
This story is developing.
The unthinkable for many Red Dirt fans has unfortunately come to pass. Saving Country Music has confirmed that Red Dirt Legend Brandon Jenkins has passed away after complications due to heart surgery. He was 48-years-old.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma native first entered the hospital after discovering he was suffering from a major heart issue in early February. After running numerous tests, it was determined Jenkins needed a new heart valve due to a birth defect that had resulted in an enlarged heart. Surgery was scheduled for Wednesday, February 21st at Nashville’s TriStar Centennial Hospital to be performed by cardiac surgeon Dr. Lawrence Pass. Jenkins arrived at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and was scheduled to go into surgery at 8:00 a.m., with hopefully everything wrapping up by noon. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
After 18 hours in surgery, several critical issues presented themselves, resulting in multiple surgeries needed to keep Brandon Jenkins alive. The entire time, Jenkins was on life support, and his chest was still open from the original surgery. Though doctors were hopeful that Brandon’s condition would continue to improve to the point where he could be closed up and begin recovery, and continued to perform surgeries and procedures over the last last week, the surgical complications ultimately proved to be too much, and he passed away Friday, March 2nd.
Though Red Dirt is known mostly for emerging from Stillwater, Oklahoma, Brandon Dean Jenkins was one of numerous Red Dirt musicians who found their compass in music from Tulsa where he was born in June of 1969. Jenkins’ father was a well-known disc jokey in Tulsa for KELi and KMOD-FM, and his uncle was Gordon Shryock, who is a Grammy-awarded bass player and producer known for working with Tulsa music legends J.J. Cale and Leon Russell. Obviously music played a big role in Brandon’s early years. He graduated from Central High School in Tulsa, sang in the choir, and played in the jazz band.
He first met fellow Red Dirt artists such as Cody Canada, Stoney LaRue, and Mike McClure while attending Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and soon became known as one of the founders of the scene, becoming a beloved songwriter and performer in Red Dirt and beyond, ultimately becoming known as the “Red Dirt Legend” (which is also the name of his record label), and for his big bushy beard and the often-covered songs “My Feet Don’t Touch The Ground” (Stoney LaRue, others) and “Finger on the Trigger”(Bleu Edmondson).
Jenkins moved to Austin in 2003, and then relocated to Nashville in 2016 after signing with a publishing company. He released a total of 16 records during his career, including through E1 Entertainment and Thirty Tigers, and accumulated multiple regional hits throughout his 25-year career.
Many fellow Red Dirt musicians have covered Brandon Jenkins songs, and he toured frequently behind his independently-released albums. At the recent Mile 0 Fest in Key West, FL, many of the Red Dirt performers played renditions of Jenkins songs in tribute, and shouted out their support from the stage. Brandon was scheduled to perform at the event, but had to cancel due to the health issues. Jenkins had just released his latest record Tail Lights in a Boomtown in February, right before he found out about his heart condition.
Brandon Jenkins music can be purchased on iTunes, and you can also donate to his family directly via paypal. You can also purchase “Hearts Beat for Jenkins” merch that will go to support his family.
Taylor
March 2, 2018 @ 3:09 pm
So sad to hear this, continued prayers for him and his family! RIP Wish I could have caught him in concert.
NonProphet
March 2, 2018 @ 3:18 pm
Such sad news. Just a punch to the gut.
Whiskeytown
March 2, 2018 @ 3:44 pm
Your not kidding, heart is heavy after hearing this. No more pain, Brandon will truly be missed. Such a great artist and a better human being. RIP Brandon, thanks for the great shows and songs.
the pistolero
March 2, 2018 @ 3:27 pm
Well, shit. Three years ago today we lost Kent Finlay, and now Brandon Jenkins.
Texas Independence Day has not been a good one for this scene…
Rockies
March 2, 2018 @ 3:40 pm
Damn.
RIP Brandon you will not be forgotten.
Mike W.
March 2, 2018 @ 3:42 pm
Terrible news, my thoughts go out to his family and friends. Stories like this are a reminder that for as far as modern medicine has come, and how easy it is to take even complex procedures like heart surgery as somehow “routine”, it is still immensely scary and serious anytime one goes under the knife. Definitely serves as a reminder to make that phone call to faraway friends I have been putting off.
JF
March 2, 2018 @ 3:45 pm
Horrible. What a loss. He was the real deal.
Kelly Moore
March 2, 2018 @ 4:03 pm
So sad Brandon was such a great guy , always made time for the fans , R.I.P brother !
OlaR
March 2, 2018 @ 4:15 pm
Great artist.
Great music.
RiP Brandon.
Talmadge East
March 2, 2018 @ 6:36 pm
This is just an awful loss. One of those you get genuinely upset about.
Belva Steiner
March 2, 2018 @ 7:33 pm
So sorry to hear of his passing
Sad day
Robert
March 2, 2018 @ 8:28 pm
I was fortunate to attend one of his shows in some crappy small town bar in Vernon, Texas. What a loss to the red dirt music scene. Great artist and songwriter. Too young to leave this land. Rest in peace Brandon. Prayers for your family brother 😓
Wesley Gray
March 2, 2018 @ 8:51 pm
this is absolutely terrible and heartbreaking. I thought he would pull througand i was hoping with all my hope for the guy… but having your chest open for 18+ hours and having multiple surgeries that close together…wow. I honestly can not believe he lingered as long as he did. i worked in a Cath-Lab for a few years (just steralizing surgical equipment) but I knew the doctors well and I know that nothing good ever comes from a surgery that goes on for that long. He was a tough man, for sure.
He will be sorely missed . What a tragic loss for his family, fans, the red dirt community and country music in general. my heart goes out to his family and friends during this time. 🙁
Mona Flick
March 2, 2018 @ 9:39 pm
“People like to say they like nature, but even the most peaceful garden, when examined more closely is an epic life and death struggle to survive on every level.” June 21, 2016 Brandon Jenkins
This one’s gonna hurt for a long time.
Ulysses McCaskill
March 2, 2018 @ 11:33 pm
RIP
Music Jedi
March 3, 2018 @ 9:48 am
Red Dirt Music looses one of it’s best. So Sad.
dave
March 3, 2018 @ 3:16 pm
Man I hate to hear this I had a heart valve replacement at 42 in 2016 I was terrified that would happen to me and thankfully I made it thru my sympathy goes out to his family I really hate to here this hits close to home for me
Chris
March 3, 2018 @ 3:27 pm
I’ve been expecting this following your recent report.
This is terrible loss for the independent music community to absorb.
Diane
March 3, 2018 @ 7:52 pm
He will be truly missed! He was a great singer and song writer. I loved his music. This just breaks my heart!
Deborah Novosad
March 10, 2018 @ 12:10 am
Rip you will be missed God bless your family and praying for them
OlaR
March 12, 2018 @ 11:27 am
The current Brandon Jenkins single (“Be The Revival”) is the new #1 in Texas (Texas Regional Radio Report – 03/09)