Services set for Grammy nominee killed in Central Texas plane crash

Funeral services have been scheduled for a Grammy-nominated musician from Glen Rose who died when his crop duster crashed over the weekend north of the town of West.

The pilot of a crop-dusting plane that crashed over the weekend north of the town of West was a Grammy-nominated musician who had a long career as a singer and songwriter.

John Allen Seay, Jr., 75, of Glen Rose, died after his plane hit a wire on a cellphone tower and crashed at around 1:50 p.m. Saturday at 1155 Hvalenka Rd.

He was ejected from the plane.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Wiley Funeral Home at 504 Holden St. in Glen Rose.

A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Cross and Grave Ranch Family Cenetery.

Seay had a decades-long career as a singer/songwriter and occasional actor.

For much of his career, Seay performed under the name Johnny Sea.

According to Seay’s website, he was 17 when he recorded his first record in 1959.

At the age of 18, he joined the Louisiana Hayride, a radio and later television country music show broadcast from Shreveport, La.

Elvis Presley performed on the show and even made his first television appearance there.

Seay had several hits in the 1960’s, recording for six major labels.

In 1966, he released the song "Day For Decision" on Warner Brothers Records.

The song was nominated for a Grammy Award, but lost to a collection of recordings by Edward R. Murrow.

In the late 1960’s, the singer began performing under his given name Johnny Seay again.

He had two more country hits for Columbia Records and was profiled in Life Magazine.

Seay spent his later years away from the spotlight, living as a cowboy on a ranch In Texas.

His family says he had more than 30 years of crop dusting experience and more than 18,000 hours of flying time.

He walked away from a crash in July 1983, his website says.

Seay’s daughter posted a message on the website that says, “Our hearts are completely broken. The greatest man I ever knew, died on the afternoon of Saturday, May 14th doing what he loved. He was in a plane crash while crop-dusting in West, TX. He was 75 years old.”

Seay leaves behind nine children and 14 grandchildren.