There are musicians who grab headlines for the controversy they can kick up or the drugs they can do. We love some of these musicians. But then there is another breed of player who rather quietly but consistently make our world a more beautiful and better sounding place, one song at a time. Stephen Bruton -- who died today -- was never much of a household name -- unless your house was in Austin, Texas. Yet somehow along the way his genius as a guitarist, a producer, a singer, a songwriter and a recording artist probably touched many millions of American music lovers. A buddy of T-Bone Burnett going back to their days growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, Bruton played with the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Christine McVie, the Wallflowers, Carly Simon, Sonny Landreth and Peter Case. He produced other great recordings artists like Alejandro Escovedo, Jimmie Dale Gilmore. And after appearing with Kristofferson in A Star Is Born, Bruton also worked in film numerous times. Indeed, he may have been the only man to be seen in both Heaven's Gate and Miss Congeniality. Whether or not you knew his name, he will be missed.
Ed Thomas
Bonnie gave us a wonderfull show last night at
Bass Hall here in Austin in spite of her obvious
heartbreak. R.I.P. Stephen.
Did she say anything about him?
I saw him a number of times at the Saxon Pub in Austin, where he did regular weekly gigs in the 1990s. Among people who would play with him were Mark Andes (Spirit) and Ian McLagen (Faces).
One thing the article does not mention is the Bruton family owned a legendary record store in Ft. Worth, TX, (don't remember its name off-hand) and when vinyl was still popular, was one of the best record stores in Texas for old Blues and R&B records. I don't know if it is still around. Stephen's father started it and brother Sumner helped run it and were a virtual encyclopedia for old Blues & R&B. They were very personable and cool to talk to. Their shop had a real vintage look and feel to it, like the record stores of the 1950s. If you didn't know what you wanted to buy, they could ask questions and fix you up with something good. You just don't get that kind of service much, anymore.
Brother Sumner also plays guitar and was in the band the Juke Jumpers, along with Johnny Reno on sax. Their father played drums in bands way back when.
No wonder Stephen had such a musical upbringing, growing up into a musical family like that.
RIP Stephen
It's been a bad few years for blues and jazz musicians, as well.
It is amazing how much talent there is in Austin and sad to see so much pass away so quickly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWQ0tFMcGgY
I never heard or saw this version, extra creepy now that Bobby H is gone.
By the way, Bill Medley is still great -- made a cool solo album I reviewed in Rolling Stone last year with a version of "In My Room" with Brian Wilson and Phil Everly.
Thanks for that strange vision.