EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was delayed because the victim, Billy Arnett, was a friend of mine. We used to play music together, and he was a good friend. I apologize for the delay. 
Fort Gibson musician and singer Billy Arnett, 48, died yesterday in Taft after a single-vehicle wreck in which his pickup overturned two-and-a-half times, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Arnett was driving his 1997 Ford F-150 pickup eastbound on Old Taft Road toward Muskogee when it departed the roadway to the right at Martin Luther King Boulevard in Taft, over-corrected, then departed the roadway to the left, overturning 2.5 times, the patrol reported.
Arnett was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:57 a.m. by Muskogee County EMS.
The pickup was equipped with seatbelts, which were not in use. The patrol is still trying to determine the cause of the wreck.
Arnett was a locally-known singer, songwriter and guitar player who entertained thousands at various venues throughout the area with his country and red dirt songs. The Billy Arnett Band was popular in local and area casinos and clubs, and his albums were beloved by numerous fans throughout the area.
