Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

The multifaceted Louisiana roots guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown had a Hollywood start, filling in for the absent T-Bone Walker at a 1947 gig and winning over both the audience and the club's owner, impresario Don Robey. Robey went on to record Brown's Cajun-flavored, bluesy guitar instrumentals and R&B songs, whose fiery intensity presaged rock-&-roll. Not content to stick to one style, Brown also experimented with country and even calypso music, and mastered a wide range of instruments. He was popular overseas and went on many tours sponsored by the U.S. State Department, and even in his later years--his career boosted by some critically acclaimed albums on Rounder Records--he enjoyed a full touring and gigging schedule. The legendary musician died in 2005 of a combination of cancer, emphysema, and heart ailments.