Chris Whitley R.I.P.

Chris Whitley Dead at 45

by Paul Cashmere @ Undercover Interviews

November 242005

Singer Chris Whitley, best known for the 1991 hit album Living With The Law, has died of lung cancer at his home in Houston, Texas. He was 45.

Whitley only discovered he had lung cancer five weeks ago.

In a statement at his website, his daughter Trixie says "My father took his last breath last night the 20th of November. I would like to make it clear that the people he needed and loved the most were with him while and when he left in peace. Those were Dan, Susann, my beloved mother Helene and me".

Dan is Whitley's brother who played on several of his albums. "I hope you all will mourn my brother's death but more important celebrate his life as Chris was all about life and living... I started the celebration by cranking up Dirt floor in his honor...crying still" he says at the Chris Whitley website.

Susann Buerger was engaged to Whitley. Daniel says that he died in her arms. "The reason I mentioned this is I always felt being held by someone you love while you passed over was a truly special thing" he said.

In his obituary, writer Bradley Bambarger states "Like most bluesmen of any era, Chris had his share of hellhounds on his trail. He chased a lot of them down in song and on stage; other times, demons got the best of him. But whether up or down in his career, Chris's sweet, generous nature and pure sensibility earned him lifelong friends and, as he put it, "guardian angels."

Whitley's last album 'Soft Dangerous Shores' was released in July. It was recorded in Germany. But related to anywhere in the world. "The blues sound different in different places," Chris said about the album. "But on a lonely, rainy night -- whether you're in New Orleans or New York or Dresden -- they feel the same."

A new album 'Reiter In' is currently scheduled for December.