Glenn Dale Murray, Jr.

In the early morning hours of July 8, 2025, the world lost a truly good man when Glenn Dale Murray, Jr., known as Dale, passed away in his sleep from an apparent heart attack. Dale was a gentle soul and a wonderful husband, father, and friend. His kindness, sincerity, and selflessness were legendary among those fortunate enough to know him. 

Dale was born on November 21, 1946, in Baton Rouge, the only child of Lola Mae Bennett Murray, originally of Richland Parish, and Glenn Dale Murray, Sr., originally of Coos Bay, Oregon. In the late 1950s, he and Phil Guay, his lifelong best friend with whom he grew up on Adams Avenue, were captivated by the rock & roll and New Orleans R&B bands that performed at the Friday night CYO dances they attended. Each of them knew then that they wanted a life in music, and they began playing professionally while still in high school. Dale graduated from Baton Rouge High School in the class of 1964 then attended LSU, where he performed, recorded, and taught music and, more significantly, met the love of his life, Anne, whom he married in 1969. 

He went on to have a successful career as a performer, bandleader, songwriter, and producer that culminated with his induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame on August 26, 2024. Making this honor all the more remarkable was the fact that Dale's music career included a three-decade hiatus. The reason: In the late 1970s, Dale walked away from music, the only work he'd ever known, to be a dad.

Dale was an exemplary family man, working long hours for over thirty years at Louisiana Welding Supply and its successor company, Gulf States Airgas, to provide for his family but always making time for his two kids. After he retired from his daytime job, he went right back to music as if he'd never left it. His later period in music, in which he reconnected with his longtime songwriting partner, Rex Pearce, included some of his most impressive writing and production work. Dale was a quiet, thoughtful man who spoke through his actions. He rarely - if ever - raised his voice in anger and he never let anyone down. 

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of over 55 years, Anne, his two children, Drew (Stephanie) and Emily, and cousins in Oregon whom he held dear. 

His burial will be private but his family and some fellow musicians are planning a celebration of life which will be announced in the coming weeks.