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John Wesley Ryles I, born on December 2, 1950, in Bastrop, Louisiana, was an American country music singer and guitarist. At age 17 in 1968, he made his debut with the single "Kay", which reached Number 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts and served as the title track for his first album Kay released by Columbia Records. Ryles continued to release albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Reconsider Me (1971), John Wesley Ryles (1977), Shine On Me (1978), Love's Sweet Pain (1978), and Let the Night Begin (1979). Notable singles from these periods include "Once in a Lifetime Thing" (1977), which peaked at Number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country chart, and "Liberated Woman" (1979), which reached Number 14. Ryles also recorded for various labels such as Plantation Music Mill, ABC/Dot Records, MCA Records, Primero, 16th Avenue Records, and Warner Bros. Records. His last single "Nobody Knows" was released in 1988, after which he primarily worked as a session backing vocalist. Ryles was married to Joni Lee, the daughter of country singer Conway Twitty. He passed away on November 2, 2025, at the age of 74.
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