Another Sad Loss for the Blues

CNN reported another sad loss for the blues. Clarence Gatemouth Brown passed away at the age of 81. He fled Slidell, Louisiana, in advance of Hurricane Katrina and was safely enconced in his hometown of Orange, Texas. However, the bluesman who had suffered from lung cancer and heart disease still might be a casualty of the hurricane’s damage. “He was completely devastated,” his agent Rick Cady said. “I’m sure he was heartbroken, both literally and figuratively. He evacuated successfully before the hurricane hit, but I’m sure it weighed heavily on his soul.”

Coming so closely on the heels of R.L. Burnside’s passing, this is a really tough loss for blues music. Our thoughts and prayers are with Brown’s family and everyone who loved his music.