Ken Orrick

Ken Orrick on stage with Lost Highway in Switzerland, 2001

Lilly Pavlak of Switzerland sends the sad news of the death of Ken Orrick, well known in Europe as the lead singer and guitar player of the California band Lost Highway, who toured several times this side of the Atlantic, including Ireland. He had a massive heart attack on Saturday 24 January.

Ken was originally from Smithville, Tennessee, and his first band was a gospel group called the Premanaires, which included Faye, older sister of Iris DeMent. Lost Highway was originally formed in 1975, and broke up in the 1980s; Ken reassembled the band in 1996. Thanks to Bluegrass Bios for information.

More on Ken, including tributes from those who knew him, can now be found on the Bluegrass Blog.