RIP Stephen Bruton (1948-2009)

It is with sadness that I am reporting the death of Texas guitarist Stephen Bruton at the age of 60. He died of complications from throat cancer at the home of T Bone Burnett, with whom he had recently completed the recording of music for a movie. Stephen was most famous for being Kris Kristofferson's touring guitarist for over 20 years starting in 1970. His latter career songwriting success is evidenced by his works being recorded by Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, The Highwaymen, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Little Feat, Jimmy Buffett, Patty Loveless, and Martina McBride among others. Bruton and Burnett had been friends since their teenage years.

It was only just a couple months ago that I again checked on his tourdates hoping that I would get to catch him live sometime soon. I was first introduced to Mr. Bruton a few years ago when I heard a song of his on XM radio. It is a song that I saved to my portable satellite radio device and one which I have gone on to listen to dozens of times since. It is easily of my top ten favorites that I've recorded from XM. The song is called 'Fading Man' and it appears on Stephen's fifth solo album "From The Five".

In a 2008 Glide Magazine poll "From The Five" was listed as a Best Album by Ratdog guitarist Mark Karan.

To close her Mother's Day performance in Austin, TX, Bonnie Raitt, with tears streaming down her face, played Bruton’s “Too Many Memories."



There are those moments and they just never fade
Like the look in her eyes and the way the light played
God moved in that moment and the angels all cried
And they gave you a memory that you'll have till you die
And the lessons you learn and you don't dare forget
What makes you grow old is replacing hope with regret
And there's too many memories for one heart to hold
Once a future so bright now seems so distant and cold
And the shadows grow long and your eyes look so old
When there's too many memories for one heart to hold

- Stephen Bruton / Too Many Memories