Pam Tillis and Her Family are ‘Grief Stricken’ by the Loss of Mel Tillis

Days after his death, the country music community is still mourning the loss of the legendary Mel Tillis, as his family, including daughter and fellow country music singer Pam Tillis.

As she and her family begin to process the loss of their patriarch, Pam took to Facebook to thank fans for their outpouring of support during this difficult time.

“I am having to process and deal with family matters, we are so grief stricken, please keep us in your prayers, we will be announcing the date for an end of life celebration. I am awed and humbled by his legacy and the out pouring of love and support we are receiving,” she wrote in the post, accompanied by family photos.

Many country stars also took to social media to express their sincere condolences to the Tillis family over their loss. Among them was “I’ll Name The Dogs” singer Blake Shelton, who named the late Country Music Hall of Famer as one of his heroes.

“He did his best to try and keep my head on straight,” the superstar wrote in part. “I looked up to Mel more than he could’ve possibly known. A talented songwriter. An incredible entertainer. And a funny funny guy. It has been a couple years since I saw him last. I deeply regret that now. What a truly devastating loss. I loved Mel. I will miss him terribly. My thoughts and prayers to all his family.”

Mel passed away at the age of 85 from respiratory failure at the Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida. Throughout his decades-long career, Tillis recorded more than 60 albums and charted more than 30 Top 10 singles.

Mel Tillis is survived by six children (Pam Tillis, Connie Tillis, Cindy Shorey, Sonny Tillis, Carrie April Tillis, and Hannah Puryear), six grandchildren, a great grandson, a sister (Linda Crosby) and brother (Richard Tillis), the mother of five of his children (Doris Tillis), and his longtime partner (Kathy DeMonaco).