Edward Morris, Nashville Music Editor and Columnist Who Steered Billboard’s Country Coverage, Dies at 90 — SkimNews
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- Edward Morris died Thursday at age 90, with no cause of death disclosed by his family
- Morris spent 14 years at Billboard from 1981 to 1995 — the final four as country music editor — after freelancing for the publication since 1972
- Morris joined CMT.com in 1999 and wrote for the site until 2020, when MTV Networks dismantled its news operations and ended his column
- Morris authored eight books, including a Garth Brooks biography, a guide to country music videos, and "Stardust: An Alzheimer's Love Story" about his late wife Norma Morris
- Morris wrote liner notes for the Judds, Keith Whitley, Guy Clark, Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Chet Atkins
- Belmont University honored Morris with the Charlie Lamb Journalist of the Year award at its 2002 International Country Music Conference
- Morris is survived by daughters Erin Morris Huttlinger and Rachel Serrato, son Jason Morris, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren; the family suggests donations to Planned Parenthood
Why it matters: Morris spent nearly 50 years as one of country music's most consistent institutional chroniclers, from Billboard's newsroom to CMT.com's digital heyday. His forced retirement in 2020 — when MTV quietly shuttered its news sites — marked the end of an era when dedicated trade journalists shaped how fans learned about country stars. His Alzheimer's memoir about wife Norma reframes a public figure as a candid caregiver who insisted, "I was not that" heroic figure.
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