Revered country artist and bass player of the band The Scary Prairie Boys, Jason Simpson, has unexpectedly passed away. He was 51.
Country music artist and bandmate Colter Wall took to Instagram on Tuesday, March 24, to announce Simpson’s death.
Wall honored his bandmate and friend by sharing a photo of Simpson performing on stage, captioning the image, “Stood beside me for 10 years, on stage and off. Rest in peace my good friend. You are missed.”
Fans Honor Jason Simpson of The Scary Prairie Boys
Following news of Simpson’s death, the band’s fans paid their respects to the bassist in Wall’s Instagram comments, where they reminisced about their favorite shows and his charismatic kindness.
“A great talent and a sweet man… my condolences to his family and friends… sad news indeed,” wrote one.
“I knew jason from the mud river revival days. I was proud to call him my friend 💙,” said another.
“Oh man, I am so sorry for your loss. I really enjoyed the chemistry he had with the band & I feel privileged to have spent a night hanging with y’all in Missoula many moons ago. Take care of yourself ❤️,” remembered a third.
“Saw you guys at Moody Theatre, that fella could tear it up. RIP,” added another.
According to Wall and Simpson’s music label, La Honda Records, the revered bassist passed away on Monday, March 23.
La Honda Records Honors Bassist Jason Simpson
Following Simpson’s death, La Honda Records released a statement on Facebook in memoriam of his legacy to country music.
“Jason Simpson was local to us at La Honda Records. A fellow Kentuckian with a bass guitar and long hair who we knew from around the way,” the label wrote. “For the last decade he was a part of our crew. We swapped stories, travelled the world together, and saw him keep rhythm on both small and grand stages all over this country. We are deeply saddened to have lost him. Our hearts are with the community of people who lost him too.”
Simpson’s time as a bass player for The Scary Prairie Boys began after his music career was first established in Kentucky, where he grew to be a well-respected artist in the area. He was even named a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Andy Beshear.
According to Saving Country Music, Simpson started playing bass for Wall in 2015. After high school, though, Simpson paved his way into the industry by taking on gigs at bars in Lexington and Louisville.
In 1996, Simpson was a founding member of the alt-country band The Mertons, in which his brother Steve played guitar. The band went on to release several albums during their successful run.
RIP Jason Simpson.
