Salon: Chris Whitley 1960-2005. I read a note in the paper earlier this week that the amazingly inventive blues/rock/country singer-songwriter had terminal cancer from a lifetime of smoking and had gone home to be with family; I missed the announcement that he passed away on Sunday. I always liked his performances and thought he never got the respect he deserved from the industry or his listeners.
Salon’s Audiofile posts a copy of Whitley’s Dirt Floor. There are other tracks for listening at his official website, as well as a message board where condolences can be posted. Rest in peace, Chris.