Singer Guy Hovis Dead at 84

Guy Hovis, the singer best known for his many appearances on "The Lawrence Welk Show," has died, his daughter Julie confirmed to TMZ.

Guy died peacefully Thursday night in Oxford, Mississippi ... with Julie telling us he had been hospitalized for a couple of weeks with a lingering, undisclosed illness.

In a Facebook post ... Guy's ex-wife and former performance partner, Ralna English, wrote, "Needless to say, at this time we are all devastated and simply trying to cope with this tragic news."

Guy and Ralna sang on 'Lawrence Welk' several times, both as a duet and individual solos.

Another momentous performance for Guy occurred in 2005 ... when he sang "Let the Eagle Soar" at the second inauguration of President George W. Bush.

He was 84.

RIP