One of Ben’s best friends in the musical world, Will Owsley, died April 30, reportedly the result of suicide at age 44. Owsley was known for his strong guitar licks and edgy power-pop riffs. The holder of ten Gold Records, he was the touring guitarist for Amy Grant’s band. A native of Anniston, Alabama, Owsley collaborated with Folds in a trio called The Semantics (with Ben’s former Majosha bandmate Millard Powers, and later Zak Starkey, son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr).
More on Owsley’s life and music from All Music Guide and Wikipedia. A story about his death in The Nashville Tennessean, and the obituary in The Anniston Star, and a story from last year in the Star, in which he ironically says he wants to be buried in Anniston, next to his grandmother. Funeral services will be held in Anniston; at this time, the date has not been set. A memorial page has been set up on Facebook.
