Kentucky bluegrass singer and songwriter Dale Pyatt passed away on April 15 in hospice care in Richmond, KY. He was 59 years of age. Owing to the COVID-19 restrictions, there was no public funeral. Dale was buried in Missouri near where he was born.
This remembrance is a contribution from his good friend and frequent co-writer, Mark “Brink” Brinkman.
If you had the opportunity to meet Dale Pyatt, you probably would never forget him. Dale was affectionately known as “Chickengrease” to all his friends. His motto was “Love, Peace & Chickengrease.” He loved to eat and use to tell me, “A fat boy can’t live on lettuce” LOL!
Dale was a wonderful singer and songwriter. I was lucky to have written MANY songs with Dale, somewhere close to 50. Several of our songs were recorded by some great artists. He was bigger than life and would play or pitch songs to literally anyone, anywhere, for any reason! In fact, I bet he’s up in heaven pitching songs to Jesus and driving him nuts… LOLOL!
Dale an I wrote songs such as Chasin’ a Dream, recorded by Dave Adkins, Levi Birmingham and You’ll Always Have My Heart, recorded by Cumberland Gap Connection, Don’t Take Much, recorded by Lizzy Long, Fences, recorded by Trinity River Band w/ Marty Raybon, and also Jett’s Creek, and Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With That by Junior Sisk Band. He also wrote many songs as well with his lifelong friend, Steve Thomas, and also Mike Evans.
Dale was a huge supporter of the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer Festival put on by Darrel Adkins in Columbus, OH every summer. He wrote a song for the MACC called Life Goes On which was recorded by a who’s who of bluegrass artists. He would volunteer to work every year, and last year performed 3 songs on stage even while he was going through serious cancer treatments. Dale and I even wrote a song while he was attached to a chemo treatment machine for 7 days called There is Life, and performed it on Facebook while sitting on his hospital bed. We’ve written some really fun songs over the years. One is a song that Dale and I both are convinced would be a hit single for whoever records it called Biscuits & Gravy… we’ll see on that one.
The music world is a little darker with Dale not in it. He left his mark on the music and the people he touched throughout his life. There will be more to come as he recorded an album produced by JD Crowe called “Hillbilly Dust” and also another one recorded and produced by Steve Thomas that are ready to be released into the world in the near future…So stay tuned. We sure miss you buddy and RIP Dale “Chickengrease” Pyatt.
Mark “Brink” Brinkman
3 Time Nominee for Songwriter of the Year – IBMA
