Overview
- Hovis died on Jan. 22 in Oxford, Mississippi, according to posts from ex-wife Ralna English and statements from his daughter, Julie.
- Relatives said he had been hospitalized for several weeks with a lingering, undisclosed illness, and no cause of death has been released.
- He gained national recognition as half of the Guy & Ralna duo on The Lawrence Welk Show after a hit 1969 Christmas duet led to a long run on the program.
- His career included roughly 15 albums, a Christian music ministry begun in the 1980s, and service as Sen. Trent Lott’s Mississippi state director from 1990 to 2007.
- He performed “Let the Eagle Soar” at President George W. Bush’s 2005 inauguration and is survived by his wife Sarah “Sis” Lundy, three children, and five grandchildren.