MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A beloved singer-songwriter's life was cut short in a Montgomery County crash over the weekend.
"Larysa Jaye" Jackson, from Kansas City, Kansas, was known by many as a standout singer that is gone too soon. She was the first Black woman to have an artist registry on Lower Broad at Justin Timberlake’s Twelve Thirty Club and often performed live at the Nashville International Airport. Her obituary noted that she also opened for Nashville’s Major League Soccer team game.
"Larysa Jaye had an exceptional ability to captivate her audience," her obituary reads, in part. "Her genre-defying sound, her vulnerability in sharing personal stories through song, and her powerhouse vocals carved out a unique niche as an artist."
Her friend and manager, David Hawkins, said that they experienced incredible career highs together.
"t's been, really, a pleasure to watch,' Hawkins added. "I am giving myself the opportunity to grieve with the waves that come, but it's a really, really large loss for me personally and professionally."
The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) reported that she was driving a Honda Accord in the westbound right lane when she lost control and drove off Interstate 24, down an embankment and rolled until it stopped on Dixie Bee Road.
The loss has come as heartbreaking news to Hawkins, fans and loved ones alike.
"She was really finally getting traction and the industry was really beginning to reflect back to her and validate back to her that her songs were right, her voice was right, her commitment to the industry was right," Hawkins said.
In addition to being a beloved artist, Jackson was also a mother of four.
"It's obvious the indelible mark she's made on them. They are courageous, they are grateful, they are mature. They love their mother so much," Hawkins said. "I think they're also just beginning to learn how much Nashville loved...their mother."
Loved ones are continuing to find comfort in Nashville's music community and beyond.
"I think making sure that we spend a little more time being present with each other and a little less time rushing and being grateful that you actually get home at night to see your family. I know that's what she was looking forward to and I hope that people can take this as a lesson to hug the ones you love a little tighter."
A visitation will be held at Bethel World Outreach Church on Thursday, Dec. 19. It will begin at 11 a.m. Follow this link to donate to a GoFundMe for her memorial and children.