News from the darkest corners...

Stephen Bruton, a Texas musician admired and much in demand as much for his astute guitar work as for his insights as a songwriter, died Saturday in Los Angeles of complications of cancer that he’d been battling for several years. He was 60.

Bruton, who had played with Kris Kristofferson for nearly 40 years and whose songs had been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jimmy Buffett and numerous others, died at the home of his friend since childhood, musician-producer T Bone Burnett, with whom he’d recently completed work on a film, “Crazy Heart,” that Burnett is producing and for which he asked Bruton to produce the music.

Bruton released five albums as a solo artist, and was the guitarist of choice for many longtime associates when they needed an evocative sound, instrumental color, to-the-point solo or melodic idea to complement their songs.

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