Kix Brooks and his family are grieving this week. The singer shared that his older sister Midge has died, and he’ll be taking time to say his final goodbyes in her home state of Maine.

Midge and her husband were an important early part of Brooks’ career. Fresh out of college, young Kix went to work writing radio advertisements for the couple in Maine. Soon, he began playing coffee shops and bars in the area, then tramped around the northeast before eventually landing in Nashville, where he found success as a songwriter, later teaming up with Ronnie Dunn to form Brooks and Dunn.

Midge’s death was also announced during a radio event at Country Radio Seminar on Thursday night (Feb. 20). Brooks was scheduled to make an appearance during a Sony Nashville event aboard the General Jackson, but had to cancel to be with family.

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