A country musician has died a country musician’s death. Country singer Randy Howard has been killed by a bounty hunter in a shootout at the singer’s home in Lynchburg, Tennessee. He was sixty-five years old.

Over the decades, there have been several country artists who have sung songs about tragic deaths, both of young and old figures. It’s been quite rare that any of those artists have had the distinct experience of dying in a manner similar to what they’ve sung about. One such country singer has completed that task, although not quite in a manner that he would have probably chosen if given the opportunity. Country singer Randy Howard was killed on Tuesday night after a shootout with a bounty hunter on his Tennessee home. The bounty hunter had apparently been hired by the authorities to bring Howard in after the country singer failed to make a court appearance after being charged with drunk driving, possession of a firearm, driving with a revoked license, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation alleges that Howard was the first to open fire, and that the bounty hunter, named Jackie Shell, returned fire, killing Howard in the process. Howard was part of the “Outlaw” country artist period in Nashville, performing with other country greats such as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. He recorded a total of seven albums during his career, the highlight record being his 1983 All-American Redneck record. Although not as widely known as his peers, Howard has been often referred to in passing as one of the founders of the modern country music scene, and his impact on the industry, though short lived, can’t be denied.