Reflections on a Popular Singer from the ’60s

Sandy Posey, a notable country-pop artist known for her collaborations with Elvis Presley and her numerous hits during the 1960s, has reportedly passed away at the age of eighty.

As reported by TMZ, Posey died at her home in Tennessee on the morning of Saturday, July 20, due to complications from dementia, with her husband, Wade Cummins, present at her side.

A request for comment from PEOPLE has not yet received a response from Cummins.

Cummins, who is an Elvis impersonator known as Elvis Wade, informed TMZ that Posey had been diagnosed with dementia several years ago, and her health had deteriorated significantly over the past seven years.

Born on June 18, 1944, in Jasper, Alabama, Posey was raised in Arkansas. Her Spotify biography notes that she initially worked as a receptionist at a recording studio before transitioning to a career as a session singer. Producer Chips Moman took notice of her debut single, “Kiss Me Goodnight,” which she released in 1965 under the pseudonym Martha Sharp, and subsequently helped her secure a contract with MGM Records.

Posey’s first two singles, “Born a Woman” and “Single Girl,” both reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, as did her 1967 hit, “I Take It Back.” She made her official pop recording debut in 1966.

At the Grammy Awards in 1967, she received two nominations for “Born a Woman”: one for best contemporary solo vocal performance, male or female, and another for best vocal performance, female.

In the 1970s, Posey shifted towards a more country-oriented sound and collaborated with Billy Sherrill, the producer for Tammy Wynette. Throughout the decade, she achieved several top-40 hits within the genre.

According to Spotify, she took a hiatus from performing in the mid-1980s but continued to work as a touring musician and session artist for Presley. She briefly returned to recording in the mid-2000s.

Reports indicate that Cummins has stated Posey will be cremated, and a celebration of her life is planned for a future date, which he will announce.