The country community was in mourning in early April after singer Conley died. He was 77.
Earl, best known for his '80's hits "Holding Her and Loving You," "What I'd Say" and "Once In a Blue Moon," died in Nashville on April 10, Blake Shelton confirmed.
Shelton paid tribute to Earl, whom he referred to as his "favorite singer, hero, and friend", in a touching post on social media. The pair had been friends for years and collaborated in 2002 to co-write Shelton's Top 20 hit "All Over Me" along with Michael Pyle.
"My heart is absolutely destroyed today... I'm sad to report that Earl Thomas Conley passed away very early this morning," Shelton wrote on his social media accounts Wednesday, along with a photo of the pals smiling during a performance. "Earl was my all time favorite singer, hero and my friend. Prayers to his family. We will all miss you deeply my brother. Now go rest..."