Died On This Date (June 27, 2012) Susanna Clark / American Songwriter & Artist / Wife Of Guy Clark

Susanna Clark
1939 – June 27, 2012

Susanna Clark was a Texas-born songwriter and artist.  She was also the longtime wife, muse, and occasional song character of fellow songwriting great, Guy Clark.  A one-time art instructor herself, Clark’s paintings have appeared on album covers for the likes of her husband (Old No. 1), Emmylou Harris (Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town), and Willie Nelson (Stardust).  As a songwriter, she either wrote or co-wrote songs that were recorded by Emmylou Harris, Carlene Carter, Jessi Colter, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Miranda Lambert.    The Clarks married in Nashville in 1972, and opened their home to friends for jams and master songwriting classes of sorts.  Regular guests included Townes Van Zandt, Crowell, and Earle.  In poor health in recent years, Susanna Clark passed away on June 27, 2012.  She was 73.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.



Died On This Date (May 29, 2012) Doc Watson / Folk Music Icon

Arthel “Doc” Watson
March 2, 1923 – May 29, 2012

Doc Watson was an influential American singer, guitarist, and songwriter whose vast catalog of songs influenced several generations of folk, country, and bluegrass musicians.  Born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Watson lost his eyesight before his first birthday due to an infection.  But that by no means stopped him from picking up whatever instrument was handed to him.  First it was the harmonica around age five, then the banjo at age 11, and ultimately, the guitar on which he mastered a style of flat-picking that the world had yet to hear and would seldom be matched since.  Although Watson was a popular draw wherever he played throughout the ’40s and ’50s, it wasn’t until the storied folk revival of the ’60s – when college kids took to the music like never before or since, that his popularity reached new heights.  Throughout his career, Watson received countless awards which included seven Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal Of Arts from President Bill Clinton.  In 1988, he launched Merlefest to honor his son and music partner, Merle Watson, who was killed in a tractor accident in 1985.  The Wilkesboro, North Carolina festival has grown to be one of the premier music gatherings in the United States with Watson playing host and sharing the stage with the likes of Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, Earl Scruggs, Del McCoury, and Willie Nelson to name just a few.  The annual event draws an estimated 80,000 each year.  On May 29, 2012, Doc Watson passed away shortly following colon surgery.  He was 89.

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Died On This Date (March 28, 2012) Earl Scruggs / Bluegrass Icon

Earl Scruggs
January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012

Photo: Mark Humphrey / AP

Earl Scruggs was a world-renowned and highly influential bluegrass musician whose three-finger style of banjo picking has since become the standard by which all other pickers are judged.  In fact, the particular practice of using picks on the thumb, index finger, and middle finger is now commonly referred to as Scruggs Style.  Scruggs got his start as part of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys during the mid ’40s.  But it wasn’t long until he and fellow band mate, Lester Flatt left to form the Foggy Mountain Boys.  In 1962, Flatt & Scruggs (as they were known when performing as a duo) and singer, Jerry Scoggins, recorded “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett” for  a new weekly television comedy, The Beverly Hillbillies.  The tune quickly became a country hit and remains one of the most recognizable TV theme songs to this day.  In 1969, Flatt & Scruggs won a Grammy for “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” and Scruggs won one again for his 2001 remake with such guests as Steve Martin, Vince Gill, and Marty Stuart. In 2008, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys. Scruggs remained a popular concert draw well into the 2000s whether he was playing at bluegrass festivals or sharing the stage with bands like String Cheese Incident whom he greatly influenced.  Earl Scruggs died of natural causes on March 28, 2012.  He was 88.

Thanks to Eric Foss at Secret Stash Records for the assist.

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Died On This Date (February 22, 2012) Billy Strange / Legendary Session Guitarist & Songwriter

Billy Strange
September 29, 1930 – February 22, 2012

Billy Strange was a much-respected guitarist, songwriter, and arranger who made an indelible mark on pop music as one of the top session players in Los Angeles during the 1960s.  And as a songwriter, he was no slouch either.  Born in Long Beach, California, Strange was just 5 years old when he performed on a local radio station – reportedly winning a yodel contest.  Roughly ten years later, he was given his first guitar, and within two years, he was on the road.  During the mid ’60s, Strange found himself as part of a collective of L.A. studio musicians known  as the Wrecking Crew, who would go down in history as the players on some of the most important pop, rock, and country records of the era.  Most famously, Strange played on landmark recordings by the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds), Nat King Cole, Nancy Sinatra, Willie Nelson, and Elvis Presley (whose “A Little Less Conversation” was co-written by Strange.  Others who recorded Strange-penned songs include Chubby Checker, the Champs, Hank Snow, and Glen Campbell.  In the early ’70s, Strange moved to Nashville where he co-owned and ran the Sinatra’s publishing company.   Billy Strange was 81 when he passed away on February 22, 2012.

Thanks to Brett Ortone for the assist.



Died On This Date (January 20, 2012) Larry Butler / Successful Country Musician & Producer

Larry Butler
March 26, 1942 – January 20, 2012

Larry Butler was a respected Nashville producer who, over the course of his career, helped create hits for the likes of Dottie West, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, John Denver, and Kim Carnes.  A gifted pianist and singer as well, Butler was just 6 years old when he launched his career with a performance  with the Harry James Orchestra.  Born in Florida, Butler moved to Nashville in 1963 to find work as a session player.  Before he knew it, his stellar piano playing was being featured on records by such country luminaries as Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette, to name just a few. By the early ’70s, Butler was the head of United Artists’ Nashville division and producing some of the era’s greatest records.   In fact, it was Butler who partnered Kenny Rogers with Dottie West to record some of the greatest country duets in history.  But it was Rogers alone who he had the most success with.  Hits like “Coward Of The County,” “The Gambler,” “She Believes In Me,” and “Lucille” all had Butler at the helm.  To this day, Butler remains the only Nashville producer to be awarded the Grammy for Producer of the Year.  Larry Butler died of natural causes on January 20, 2012.  He was 69.