▁Stra it ▁from ▁the ▁Heart . ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁named ▁"# 1 2 ▁country ▁song ▁of ▁all - time " ▁by ▁Country ▁Music ▁Television . ▁ ▁Staff ord ▁lived ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁between ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California ; ▁and ▁Am ar illo , ▁Texas ; ▁and ▁died ▁in ▁Am ar illo ▁of ▁li ver ▁failure , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 4 . ▁He ▁is ▁inter red ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁parents ▁at ▁L l ano ▁C emetery ▁in ▁Am ar illo . ▁His ▁mother ' s ▁ob itu ary ▁lists ▁Nancy ▁Staff ord ▁of ▁Orange ▁County , ▁California , ▁pres umably ▁Staff ord ' s ▁wid ow , ▁as ▁a ▁surv iv or , ▁but ▁neither ▁she ▁nor ▁Staff ord ' s ▁brother - in - law , ▁Ed ▁S ne ad , ▁are ▁mentioned ▁a ▁de cade ▁later ▁in ▁his ▁father ' s ▁death ▁notice . ▁Staff ord ' s ▁wid ow ▁is ▁apparently ▁Nancy ▁E . ▁Staff ord ▁( born ▁c . ▁ 1 9 4 4 ), ▁daughter ▁of ▁Oregon ▁native ▁Isabel ▁Rose ▁Hall ▁White ▁St ig lb auer ▁( 1 9 1 9 – 2 0 0 3 ), ▁with ▁father ▁J . ▁El bert ▁Hall ▁( 1 9 1 7 – 1 9 4 9 ), ▁brother ▁Gary ▁Warren ▁Hall ▁( 1 9 4 2 – 1 9 7 3 ), ▁and ▁step father ▁Lawrence ▁J . ▁St ig lb auer ▁( 1 9 1 3 – 1 9 9 4 ). ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a