Troy Gentry, one half of country music group Montgomery Gentry, has been killed in a helicopter crash in New Jersey.
The helicopter crashed into a wooded area while approaching the Flying W Airport in Medford hours before Montgomery Gentry was scheduled to perform at a resort that also housed at the airport.
The helicopter pilot died at the scene. Emergency personnel were able to remove Gentry from the twisted wreckage, but he died on his way to the hospital.
The ‘Our Town’ singer was 50 years old and leaves behind a wife and two children.
Troy Gentry (left), one half of country music group Montgomery Gentry, was killed in a helicopter crash on Friday
First responders positioned near the wreckage of a helicopter in Lumberton, NJ Friday. The Montgomery Gentry country duo’s Twitter account announced Gentry, 50, died in the crash
Police got a call at around 1pm of a helicopter that was in distress, said Joel Bewley, a spokesman for the Burlington County prosecutor’s office.
Authorities said crews were working to remove the body of the pilot.
The National Transportation Safety Board is headed to the crash scene, Bewley said.
Montgomery Gentry was scheduled to have a concert at the Flying W Airport in New Jersey.
A message posted to the group’s Twitter page announcing the news.
Troy leaves behind his wife Angie McClure, who he wed in 1999, along with their daughter Kaylee, 19. He also leaves behind his daughter Taylor Gentry from a previous marriage.
The helicopter pilot died at the scene. Emergency personnel were able to remove Gentry from the wreckage but he died on the way to the hospital
Troy Gentry’s family wishes to acknowledge all of the kind thoughts and prayers, and asks for privacy at this time.’
Montgomery Gentry is best known for their song ‘Our Town.’ They hail from Kentucky.
Gentry was born on April 5, 1967, in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met bandmate Eddie Montgomery and formed a group based off their last names.
Montgomery Gentry had success on the country charts and country radio in the 2000s, scoring No. 1 hits with ‘Roll With Me,’ ‘Back When I Knew It All,’ ‘Lucky Man,’ ″Something to Be Proud Of’ and ‘If You Ever Stop Loving Me.’ Some of the songs even cracked the Top 40 on the pop charts.
The group released their debut album, ‘Tattoos & Scars,’ in 1999.
The band mixed country music with Southern rock. It was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009.