According to a press release, Rusty Young, founding member of seminal country-rock band Poco and one of the most influential steel guitar players in rock history, died yesterday of a heart attack at his home in Davisville, Missouri. He was 75 years old.
“Rusty was the most unpretentious, caring and idyllic artist I have ever worked with, a natural life force that he consistently poured into his music,” says Rick Alter, Poco and Rusty’s manager of more than 20 years, “To fans and fellow musicians alike, he was a once-in-a-lifetime musician, songwriter, performer and friend.” A memorial service for Rusty will be held October 16th at Wildwood Springs Lodge in Steelville, MO where Rusty and his wife Mary met 20 years ago.
Rusty Young spoke with Kyle Meredith in 2017 about his first solo album and what would become his final work. You can revisit that interview here.
