The Fort Worth, Texas, native has been a champion of country music�as well as rock, pop, and other styles�for decades. He wrote such acclaimed books as Your Cheatin' Heart: A Biography of Hank Williams, On the Road With the Rolling Stones, and the anthology Everybody Was Kung-Fu Dancing. He also wrote books on Paul McCartney and David Bowie, among others.

Flippo was well-loved by many across the spectrum of country music, including Taylor Swift, who called him "one of my favorite journalists" in a Tweet she posted yesterday:

"We've lost Chet Flippo, one of my favorite journalists, who devoted his life to writing about music from a place of integrity. So sad. � Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 19, 2013"