Country Music Singer William Lee Golden’s son Rusty Golden has died. He passed away on Monday 1st July 2024 leaving family and friends devastated. He was announced dead by his father on Tuesday saying “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Rusty Golden last night. We thank you all for your love and support of Rusty over the years and kindly ask for privacy for our family during this difficult time.” The cause of his death was not mentioned.
Rusty Golden Birth and Career
Rusty, born William Lee Golden, Jr. on January 3, 1959, in Brewton, Alabama, is the eldest son of William and Frogene Golden. Although named after his father, he was affectionately called “Rusty” from a young age, a name he later adopted for his professional career. In some of his early works, he was credited under his birth name, William Lee Golden. From the moment he was born, Rusty’s environment was steeped in music, setting the stage for his future as a songwriter and musician.
Music was a constant in the Golden household, with both of Rusty’s parents hailing from musical families where singing and playing instruments were a regular part of life. By the time he was a toddler, Rusty was already creating rhythms using Charles Chips cans or round oatmeal boxes as makeshift drums and pencils as drumsticks. By the age of 12, he was proficiently playing a professional drum set gifted to him by his parents.
Rusty’s songwriting was profoundly influenced by his paternal grandmother and great-grandfather, both of whom had a deep love for poetry, essentially lyrics without music. His grandmother was a prolific poet, frequently having her work published in the town’s newspaper in a section called “Poet’s Corner.” Rusty grew up understanding the synergy between words and music, and as a youngster, he composed his first song by setting his grandmother’s poetry to music.
