SHREVEPORT, La. (CelebrityAccess) Singer/songwriter Margeret “Maggie” Lewis Warwick, 79, passed away from pneumonia in Shreveport, La., March 29.
The Louisiana native may be considered a legend in the state but her influence was nationwide. Her songs were recorded by Loretta Lynn, Jeannie C. Riley and Connie Francis and she penned the popular song “Reconsider Me.” Her first band in high school, Maggie Lewis and the Thunderbolts, would later include Johnn Winter on lead guitar, according to Billboard. She and her husband also ran, in the 1980s, the Ram Records label, which had six songs in last year’s film “Green Book.”
Warwick, who served as the former chairperson of the Louisiana Music Commission, was thanked by Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins on Instagram for her commitment to the city and her many years as part of the Louisiana Hayride, which was broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium from 1948 to 1960 and helped launch the careers of Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Johnny Horton and others. She was instrumental in keeping the facility from being destroyed.
“The last twenty years of her life were devoted to revitalizing the Municipal Auditorium and preserving the Hayride’s legacy,” Perkins said. “In fact, I had the good fortune to share the stage with her at the Municipal during an event celebrating the Hayride just over a month ago. The City of #Shreveport will miss Maggie.”
“I’ve known Maggie Warwick since I was just a kid and I can honestly say she was one of the sweetest people I have ever known,” blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd told Billboard. “Maggie’s excitement and passion for music, and in particular, the music from the Shreveport area was infectious. Maggie was an early believer in me and my talent and was an inspiring teacher. Her remarkable history as a singer, songwriter and performer was formidable and she was always there to encourage me — even performing a duet with me at one of my first recording sessions. I will always be grateful for her guidance through the years.”
A celebration of Warwick’s life was held yesterday at the auditorium.
