At the age of 78, famed Claremont musician and songwriter David Lindley passed away. Reports state that Lindley had been unwell for a number of months prior to his passing.
One of the forerunners of world music, Lindley was renowned for his exceptional musicianship and mastery of a variety of stringed instruments. With his distinctive fusion of musical genres, he impacted innumerable musicians and songwriters all over the world during the course of his distinguished career.
Lindley was a longstanding resident of Claremont and was born in San Marino, California, in 1944. He first came to prominence as the late Chris Darrow’s early bandmate, another important character in Claremont’s music scene.
Together, they created the group Kaleidoscope, which contributed significantly to the growth of world music by releasing four records between 1966 and 1970.
With the help of some of the biggest names in music, including Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Leonard Cohen, Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart, and Warren Zevon, Lindley established himself as a highly sought-after studio guitarist after leaving Kaleidoscope.
In addition, he was well-known for his distinctive lap steel playing on some of Jackson Browne’s early songs and his investigation of diverse musical traditions from other countries, such as Turkey, Greece, Madagascar, and Jamaica.
How did Jackson Browne meet David Lindley?
On how Jackson Browne met Lindley, Jackson says, “I [first] saw David play with Kaleidescope at the Ash Grove. I didn’t know him. The first thing I ever heard about him was at the Topango Banjo Fiddle Contest; the year that they made him a judge was the first year that I went there. And I went there because the Nitty Gritty Dirt band.”
“I [first] saw David play with Kaleidescope at the Ash Grove. I didn’t know him. The first thing I ever heard about him was at the Topango Banjo Fiddle Contest; the year that they made him a judge was the first year that I went there. And I went there because the Nitty Gritty Dirt band.