NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — The Nashville music community is grieving after the tragic death of singer-songwriter Larysa Jaye, a bright light whose voice and presence graced stages across the Midstate.
At just 40 years old, Larysa’s life was tragically cut short in a single-car crash, leaving her family and fans heartbroken.
Larysa’s parents, Pastor Wendell and Sharon Hamilton, are mourning the loss of their daughter but are choosing to focus on how she lived, not how she died.
“She was my girl, and I’m going to miss her,” Sharon Hamilton said.
From an early age, Larysa knew her calling. “As a baby, she didn’t really go to too many people. But as she developed her singing, she began to embrace everybody,” her father, Wendell Hamilton, said.
Larysa’s passion for music fueled her success in Music City, where her powerful voice and heartfelt lyrics earned her a huge following.
She performed on iconic stages, from Broadway to sold-out stadiums, and even captivated travelers at the Nashville International Airport.
Her brother, Wendell Hamilton, Jr., remembers when he watched his sister perform live.
“I said, ‘Oh my goodness, you are good for real,’ and I’ve been a fan ever since.”
But it wasn’t just on stage that Larysa shined. Her family says her greatest achievements were her four children.
“My favorite thing about her was that she always knew what she needed,” Kingston said. “She taught me that if I needed anything, I should speak up, just like she did.”
Larysa was a recent graduate of the Academy of Country Music’s OnRamp Program and a proud member of The Recording Academy, the Black Music Action Coalition, and the Black Opry.
She was a respected figure in the Nashville music scene, with hundreds of fans and supporters.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Larysa’s car crashed on Interstate 24 in Montgomery County while she was returning home from a performance. The vehicle went off the road, rolling down an embankment on Dixie Bee Road.
Her family is comforted by the outpouring of love from the community. “
It’s just so powerful to see the love she poured out coming back a hundred times,” Sharon Hamilton said, referring to the many messages and tributes received.
Visitation for Larysa Jaye will be held Thursday, December 19 at 11 a.m. at Bethel World Outreach Church, located at 5670 Granny White Pike in Brentwood, TN.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at kelsey.gibbs@newschannel5.com
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
