Country star Troy Gentry killed in helicopter crash

Troy Gentry, of the country duo Montgomery Gentry, was killed in a New Jersey helicopter crash on Friday just before the group was set to perform. He was 50.
According to a statement issued by Average Joes Entertainment, the crash took place at approximately 1 pm in Medford, New Jersey.
Gentry was set to perform, along with his Montgomery Gentry partner Eddie Montgomery, Friday night at the Flying W Airport and Resort in Medford. The concert was cancelled even before Gentry was revealed to have been a victim in the crash, reported Variety.
The Federal Aviation Administration told NJ.Com that a Schweizer 269 helicopter crashed into a wooded area off the Runway 1 at the airport. Medford Township Police Chief Richard Meder said authorities got a call of a "distressed" helicopter around 1 pm.

The band had tweeted just hours before the crash, "Heading to Medford, New Jersey to play tomorrow! Ya looking forward to the show? WE ARE!"
The duo was formed in the late '90s, and is perhaps best known for their hit "My Town," along with other singles like "Hillbilly Shoes" and "Headlights."
They were named duo of the year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association in 2000, and were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009.
Montgomery Gentry's music was far-reaching, with acclaimed poet Maya Angelou inviting the duo to open for her when she played the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in 2007. Their song "Some People Change" was among her favorites, and she commented that, although the duo was much different from her musically, they were still her "sons.