NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — Carrigan Chet Shields, the pianist of the rising country act The Scooter Brown Band, died on December 30th, just two days after performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
A cause of death for Shields was not disclosed, but he was just 30 years old when he passed.
Born on October 22, 1989, in Pocatello, Idaho, Shields grew up in a musical family and excelled at a variety of instruments but was most passionate about the piano, a statement from the band said.
“Carrigan was and always will be our brother and one of the greatest cats to pound those keys. Not only was he a great talent, but he was also one of the most kind-hearted human beings. We’ve had some great times together over the years – his last performance was, fittingly, at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium on the Grand Ole Opry. The last song he played was ‘American Son’ and he truly is an American Son. Our condolences to his family and all of his friends and fans who have loved him,” a spokesperson for the band said.
Carrigan is survived by his mother, Brenda Shields, his brother Chad Shields and sisters Crystal Shields and Chasta Egan as well as his bandmates Scott “Scooter” Brown, Matt Bledsoe, Steven Sutherland, and Brian Sowell, former bandmate Nathan Lockhart and the teams at 117 Entertainment, APA and David Corlew & Associates.
A private service will be held on January 12 in Nashville and the Browns have established a GoFundMe page to help defray the cost of funeral expenses and to support Carrigan’s family.
