RIP Ben Keith

Ben Keith, a steel player known for his long association with Neil Young, has died of a heart attack at 73. Aside from his work on twelve Young albums and several tours, he was a Nashville fixture who played on innumerable sessions, including Patsy Cline's "I Fall To Pieces." Keith had a voice on steel that I would describe as minimalistic, almost lonely. I never detected a showboat approach in his playing, which probably appealed to Neil. I saw him play live in 2006 on the CSNY "Freedom Of Speech" tour. A great loss to be sure.