Correction: Billy Strings’ mother is Debra Apostol. Her name was misspelled in an earlier version.
LANSING – Debra Apostol, the mother of Grammy-winning artist Billy Strings, died Friday, June 20, just hours after Strings returned to Michigan to perform at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival on June 19.
Apostol and Strings’ dad, Terry Barber, have a home in Muir.
Strings announced his mother’s passing on Friday night from the stage of his show in Lexington, Kentucky. He asked his fans, instead of a moment of silence, to make as much noise as possible in honor of Apostol.
Strings and his father played together on stage Thursday in Charlotte. Strings recalled his parents bringing him to his first bluegrass festival in Charlotte in 1997, when he was 4.
His mother did not attend Thursday’s show.
Fans online were quick to offer their love and support to Strings and his family.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Billy Strings’ mother, Debra Apostol, dies hours after son played show back in Michigan
Reporting by Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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