Country singer Earl Thomas Conley passed away yesterday in Nashville at the age of 77. According to his brother Fred Conley, Earl has been in hospice care for several months, and was battling a condition similar to dementia.

Conley was best known for such 80s songs as “Holding Her and Loving You,” “Angel in Disguise” and the Emmylou Harris duet “We Believe in Happy Endings,” three of his 18 number ones. His first Top Ten hit as an artist was the track “Silent Treatment,” while 1981’s “Fire And Smoke” was his first number one.

Several artists took to social media to pay tribute to Conley, including Blake Shelton who shared, “My heart is absolutely destroyed today… Earl was my all time favorite singer, hero and my friend. Prayers to his family. We will all miss you deeply my brother. Now go rest….”

Toby Keith wrote: “An all time great. Earl Thomas Conley passed away today. Huge influence on me. Loved him. Prayers to his family.”