She is irreplaceable, but her heart and spirit will live on throughout our industry.” Referring to an event taking this place at the Ryman Auditorium, Whiteside added, ‘ACM Honors’ was her favorite event, and I know she will be singing along and smiling down on us from above on Wednesday night.” She was a champion for country music and fiercely dedicated to the Academy’s mission for her over 15 years of service to the ACM. Said Damon Whiteside, the ACM’s CEO, “The Academy has lost a huge part of its heart and soul with the passing of Lisa Lee. Three years later, she joined the L.A.-based Academy of Country Music, becoming one of the genre’s foremost behind-the-scenes figures on the west coast as well as maintaining her familiar presence back in Music City. Goodbye, my sweet friend.”īorn in Arkansas and based for many years in Nashville, Lee moved to Los Angeles in 2004, when she was four years into a run of working for CMT and MTV Networks. She truly cared about country music – and I absolutely cared about her. “She covered my heroes and my friends she wrote about me and my mother. She was a TV reporter, producer, writer and big executive.,” said Chesney. “Lisa Lee and I grew up together in this business.

The country stars paying tribute to Lee included Kenny Chesney (pictured above). Lisa Lee, a leading figure in the country music industry who rose up through the ranks of broadcasting and most recently served as senior VP of creative and content for the Academy of Country Music, died Saturday at 52.

Lisa moore ed rust