Died On This Date (May 17, 2016) Guy Clark / Revered Texas Singer-Songwriter

Guy Clark
November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016

guy-clarkGuy Clark was the true embodiment of a “songwriter’s songwriter.”  Born in Texas, Clark’s name is rarely excluded when conversations turn to the greats from that state. Alongside contemporaries like Townes Van Zandt and Jerry Jeff Walker, Clark laid down the foundation for what is now simply called Texas Music or Texas Country.  His lyrics, served over mostly sparse blues folk instrumentation, tended to come as close to being called literature as songs could get.  As a performer – and most of the time armed with little more than his acoustic guitar or maybe a second and a fiddle, Clark could leave an audience holding its collective breath in anticipation of the next word coming from his mouth – and many times, that was during his talk leading up to the song. He eventually settled in Nashville where he and his wife, Susanna Clark, often welcomed local songwriters into their home where they could work on perfecting their craft in informal workshops.  This open houses often hosted the likes of Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and Steve Young.  Clark’s songs have been hits for such country luminaries as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell.  For his own recordings, Clark garnered numerous accolades, including a Best Folk Album Grammy for his 2014 release, My Favorite Picture of You.  On May 17, 2016, Guy Clark died following a courageous battle against cancer.  He was 74.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com


Died On This Date (December 29, 2012) Mike Auldridge / Dobro Legend

Mike Auldridge
December 30, 1938 – December 29, 2012

Mike-AuldridgeMike Auldridge was a much respected master of the resophonic guitar, or as it is more commonly known, the dobro.  Born in Washington, DC, Auldridge began playing the guitar at the age of 13.  He eventually transitioned to the dobro, but didn’t began playing music full-time until he was around 40, when the Washington Star-News closed its doors.  He had had been earning his living as a graphic artist for the paper.  In 1971, Auldridge co-founded the Seldom Scene with a handful of musicians he jammed with each week.  The band, much to the chagrin of traditionalists, married bluegrass with jazz, folk, and rock.  By doing so, they were pioneers of progressive bluegrass, or what they called “acid grass,” which has been popularized by such jam bands as String Cheese Incident. As an in-demand session player, Auldridge played on records by Bill Monroe, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, and many more.   During the ’90s, he played in Chesapeake with former members of the Seldom Scene.  Over the course of his career, Auldridge was awarded a Grammy as well as numerous other accolades, and in 2012, he was named a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow.  Mike Auldridge was 73 when he died of cancer on December 29, 2012.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com

Dobro / Blues and Bluegrass (Reissue) - Mike Auldridge

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.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Doc Watson - Doc Watson

Died On This Date (May 16, 2012) Doug Dillard / Banjo Great; The Dillards

Doug Dillard
March 6, 1937 – May 16, 2012

Doug Dillard was a world-renowned banjo player and founding member of the Dillards.  Formed in 1962, the pickers eventually added electric guitars, drums and keyboards to the mix which in turn, laid the foundation for country rock to come in the early ’70s, and newgrass in the ’80s and ’90s.  Artists who have taken a cue for the Dillards include the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Eagles, New Grass Revival, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sam Bush, String Cheese Incident, Ricky Skaggs, and the Byrds.  The Dillards made their mark on television as well.  During the ’60s, they had a recurring role as the Darlings, a bluegrass band that performed on the Andy Griffith Show.  The group continued to release albums well into the ’90s.   Outside of the Dillards, Doug also performed alongside the ByrdsGene Clark as the Dillard and Clark Band.  Throughout his career, he either performed or recorded with the likes of Elton John, Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, and Linda Ronstadt.  Doug Dillard was 75 when he passed away on May 16, 2012.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

The Dillards

Died On This Date (November 28, 2011) Tom Roady / Drummer For Ricky Skaggs

Tom Roady
DOB Unknown – November 28, 2011

Tom Roady was a much respected drummer and percussionist who is perhaps best remembered for his recent work with Ricky Skaggs.  Roady can be heard playing on Skaggs’ latest offering, A Skaggs Family Christmas, Volume 2, and was gearing up to go out on tour with Skaggs.  Throughout his long career, Roady played with the likes of Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Joan Baez, Bob Seger, and Kenny Chesney.  Earlier in his career, Roady was a session player at the storied Muscle Shoals studio, working for Jerry Wexler, and playing on tracks by Lynyrd Skynrd, James Brown, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, and many more.  As reported by CMT, Tom Roady was 62 when he passed away in his sleep on November 28, 2011.  Cause of death was reportedly attributed to heart problems, although he had been battling cancer.