Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free
Granger Smith ’s three-year-old son River has died.
The country singer and songwriter shared the “unthinkable” news on social media, where he revealed his youngest son, who he shares with wife Amber, died following an accident.
“I have to deliver unthinkable news,” Smith wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself and his son. “We’ve lost our youngest son, River Kelly Smith .
“Following a tragic accident, and despite doctor’s best efforts, he was unable to be revived. Amber and I made the decision to say our last goodbyes and donate his organs so that other children will be given a second chance at life.”
Smith added that while his family was “devastated and heartbroken,” they are taking “solace in knowing he is with his Heavenly Father”.
Show all 30 1 /30Notable deaths in 2019 Notable deaths in 2019 Clive James Writer and broadcaster equally at home among the highbrow and on TV died aged 80
Rex
Notable deaths in 2019 Toni Morrison Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison died at the age of 88 on August 6. The celebrated writer of 11 novels was known for her searing works about slavery and the experiences of black women, including 1987’s Beloved, the story of a runaway female slave – for which she won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year.
AFP/Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 David Koch One of the world's richest men, David Koch died aged 79 on august 23. The 79-year-old, along with his brother Charles, poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the political and lobbying system – promoting a conservative agenda.
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Dr John Influential musician Dr John, born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr, died aged 77. He produced more than 20 albums in a variety of styles
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Gabriele Grunewald Grunewald, one of America's top middle-distance runners, died on 11 June at her home after inspiring many with a long fight against cancer. She was 32.
AP
Notable deaths in 2019 Jose Antonio Reyes Spanish footballer Jose Antonio Reyes died in a car crash at the age of 35. He spent two and a half years at Arsenal, becoming the first Spaniard to win the English championship, before joining Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Benfica.
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Raymond Louw Giant of South African journalism died on 5 June, aged 92. He was editor of the Rand Daily Mail and took a hard liberal stance with the paper, hiring black journalists during apartheid. The Sowetan later described the Rand Daily Mail under Louw as the "first white newspaper to regard blacks as human beings."
Fray/YouTube
Notable deaths in 2019 Doris Day American actress and singer Doris Day holds a bouquet of roses at Le Bourget Airport in Paris after flying in from London. The Doris Day Animal Foundation confirmed Day died early Monday, May 13, 2019, at her home in Carmel Valley, California. She was 97
AP
Notable deaths in 2019 Jerrie Cobb Jerrie Cobb, the nation's first female astronaut candidate, with a display of rockets at a national conference where the leading space experts gathered in Tulsa, Okla. Cobb died in Florida at the age of 88 on March 18, 2019.
AP
Notable deaths in 2019 Keith Flint Flint quickly became one of the figureheads of British electronic music during the Nineties as a singer in the band The Prodigy. He died, aged 49, on 4 March
Yui Mok/PA
Notable deaths in 2019 Jean Vanier Canadian Jean Vanier founder of L'Arche communities poses for a photograph after he received the Templeton Prize at St Martins-in-the-Fields church in London. Vanier, a Canadian religious figure whose charity work helped improve conditions for the developmentally disabled in multiple countries over the past half-century, has died Tuesday May 7, 2019 in Paris after suffering from thyroid cancer at 90.
AP
Notable deaths in 2019 Hannelore Elsner Actress Hannelore Elsner arrives for the screening of the movie 'Nobody Wants the Night', during the opening gala of the 65th Berlinale International Film Festival, in Berlin February 5, 2015
Reuters
Notable deaths in 2019 Reverend Ruth Scott Radio 2 said Reverend Ruth Scott died peacefully in Southampton General Hospital on 20 February, aged 60.
BBC/PA
Notable deaths in 2019 Peter Tork (second from right) The Monkees singer Peter Tork died on 21 February, aged 77. Born in 1942 in Washington DC, Tork became part of the band with Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones in the mid-sixties, when they was formed as America’s Beatles counterpart.
AP
Notable deaths in 2019 Vinny Vella Vinny Vella, who starred opposite Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's 1995 gangster film Casino, died of liver cancer on 20 February, aged 72. Vella also appeared in HBO series The Sopranos.
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Bruno Ganz Swiss actor Ganz, one of the most prominent German-speaking actors, died on 16 February, aged 77. He was best known for his portrayal of Adolf Hitler in the oscar-nominated 2004 film Downfall.
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Andrea Levy Author Andrea Levy, best known for her novel Small Island, died on 14 February, aged 62. Her work chronicled the black British experience in the years after Windrush.
PA
Notable deaths in 2019 John Dingell A Democrat and the longest serving congressman on record, with a stint of 59 years and 22 days from 1955 to 2015 died on 7 February, aged 92.
AP
Notable deaths in 2019 Clive Swift (left) Clive Swift, who rose to fame as Richard, the long-suffering husband of Hyacinth Bucket, in BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearancea died on 1 February, aged 82
Rex
Notable deaths in 2019 Jeremy Hardy Standup comedian and Radio 4 panellist who skewered the establishment for decades died on 1 February, aged 57. Astute and observational, Hardy’s comedy was fuelled by his political passion
PA
Notable deaths in 2019 Diana Athill Literary editor and novelist who won the Costa Award for biography, aged 91, died on 23 January, aged 101. Her deft touch and ear for intention nurtured the talents of writers she championed, such as Jack Kerouac and Jean Rhys
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Oliver Mtukudzi Afro-jazz star whose music brought Zimbabweans together died on 23 January, aged 66. Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi’s popularity stretched back to the 1970s and cut across political and generational divides
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Tony Mendez CIA disguise master whose Iran escape inspired Ben Affleck’s Argo died on 19 January, aged 78. The story of the daring and inventive escape he orchestrated within an enemy state ended up in an Oscar-winning film
AP
Notable deaths in 2019 Mary Oliver Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who cracked mainstream success died on 17 January, aged 83. She rose from a traumatic childhood to become a formidable force of American letters and an inspiration to women
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Windsor Davies Star of ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’ and ‘Never the Twain’ died on 17 January, aged 88. Sitcom actor was a familiar TV face in the 1970s and 1980s
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Carol Channing Actor who bestrode Broadway for decades in ‘Hello, Dolly!’ and ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ died on 15 January, aged 97. Despite keeping her black ancestry a secret, she failed to break through in Hollywood but remained a stalwart of her professional home – New York’s theatreland
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Phil Masinga South African footballer who was part of a new era of sport after apartheid died on 13 January, aged 49. Affectionately known as ‘Waltzing’ by Leeds fans, he was hailed as an inspiration by his former teammate
Getty
Notable deaths in 2019 Pawel Adamowicz Gdansk mayor and standard-bearer for civil rights and liberal values in Poland died on 13 January, aged 53. A proud Christian and patriot, the much-loved politician spoke out against bigotry in a country of whose rising hate crime he became a victim
Reuters
Notable deaths in 2019 Martin Gore Cancer expert who forged an international reputation over 30 years at the Royal Marsden died on 10 January, aged 67. As medical director of the hospital for 10 years from 2006, he was keen for a constant dialogue between doctors treating patients and their colleagues in labs
PA
Notable deaths in 2019 Hugh McIlvanney Celebrated sports journalist died in January, aged 84. McIlvanney spent over 50 years in the field, with career highlights including an interview with Muhammad Ali immediately following his victory at the Rumble in the Jungle and his coverage of boxer Johnny Owen's fatal bout
PA
“Riv was special. Everyone that met him knew that immediately. The joy he brought to our lives cannot be expressed and his light will be forever in our hearts,” the father-of-three wrote. “Love the ones close to you. There has never been a more difficult moment for us than this.”
The 39-year-old concluded the post by asking donations be sent to Dell Children’s Medical Centre in Austin, Texas, in River’s name in lieu of flowers or gifts.
Smith’s wife Amber also shared her own tribute to River on social media, writing that “nothing can prepare a mother to deliver this kind of news”.
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The three-year-old had celebrated his third birthday last month. The couple also have a seven-year-old daughter London and a five-year-old son Lincoln.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies