Singer and songwriter Guy Clark dies at 74
Guy Clark: 1941-2016. Travel safe, old friend. I would not be the songwriter I am if I hadn’t sat at your table and learned from a master.
— rosanne cash (@rosannecash) May 17, 2016
Another musical legend has gone. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Guy Clark has passed away. He was 74. The Texas troubadour, known for songs like “Desperados Waiting for a Train” and “L.A Freeway,” died today at the age of 74 from complications of a long illness, in East Nashville.
A mentor to singer-songwriters like Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash, Lyle Lovett, and Rodney Crowell, Clark’s songs were covered by dozens of artists including Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, and Ricky Skaggs, who had a hit with Clark’s song, “Heartbroke.” He won a Grammy Award in 2014 for Best Folk Album for his 2013 release My Favorite Picture of You. Clark gained status as a folk-music icon, influencing several generations of musicians with beautifully fashioned songs that tell stories from his life.
Clark had been David Dye’s guest on World Cafe several times over the years. Below, listen to his session from 2006 and a session from 2009 during which he performed “L.A. Freeway.”