Duane Jarvis: 1957-2009

Nashville pioneer Duane Jarvis died last Wednesday in his Los Angeles home after a protracted battle with colon cancer. He was 51 years old.

Jarvis, who described his songwriting as "country rock by way of the British Invasion," was a luminary among singer-songwriters, having collaborated with artists as diverse as Frank Black, Dwight Yoakam, M Ward and Lucinda Williams. His music career began when the gift of a pick (which he claims to have kept his entire life) from BB King at a concert inspired him to start playing guitar.

"Duane passed away this morning at 1:30 a.m. with a smile on his face," his brother Kevin Jarvis wrote in an e-mail to family and friends. "We knew time was short by the way things were going that day, although Duane surprised us a little by leaving us quite so soon."

Related links:
Duane Jarvis on MySpace
Salon: Duane Jarvis
NE.jp: Duane Jarvis interview

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