And just ran across this:
Musician Amy Farris found dead
By Michael Corcoran | Wednesday, September 30, 2009, 04:04 PM
The sad news spread through Austin Wednesday that talented fiddle player Amy Farris, an Austin native living in Los Angeles, was found dead. In her Twitter account Kelly Willis posted “My dear sweet friend Amy Farris died over the weekend. Together we weren’t exactly fearless..but we did it anyway. I’m devastated.” Farris was 40.
Farris was found at her residence. Suicide is suspected, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, though the investigation has not been completed and there’s not yet an official cause of death.
A graduate of Crockett High, Farris was a member of Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women, who played Antone’s Sept. 18. Her credits include backing everyone from local luminaries Willis, Bruce Robison and Alejandro Escovedo to musical giants Ray Price and Brian Wilson. Farris performed on two Lillith Fair tours in Willis’ band.
Her lone solo LP “Anyway,” was produced by Alvin in 2003.
Farris was scheduled to play Friday with the Guilty Women at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in her honor to Hungry For Music, Inc, a nonprofit effort to provide musical instruments to at risk children.
That’s very sad.