Stephen Bruton. . . gone too soon

One of the most talented musicians I've had the pleasure of knowing, Stephen Bruton, died Saturday morning after a two plus year battle with cancer. He was just 60. Gone too soon. Not just an amazing guitar player, but producer, songwriter, bandleader and even actor. Though he was relatively unknown to many, he was among the most respected and admired in the music community - particularly in Los Angeles and Austin, where he worked and lived.

One of the best shows I ever attended in Portland was in September of 2007, when he was finally able to get back to touring (after his first round of cancer treatments) and he played the intimate confines of Mississippi Studios. So happy to finally get back on the road and do what he lived for, he played for nearly three hours and absolutely floored the 70 or so folks who were there. Stephen was thrilled and wanted to come back to Portland to play again, but never got the chance.


He will be greatly missed.

For additional news about Stephen and reaction to his passing go to stories at:

Austin360

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

keyetv.com (Austin)

Joe Nick Patoski's blog (Texas music writer)