Pitchfork

Just yesterday, December 13, Pitchfork ran a story about the efforts to raise money for J.D. "Cast" King, an 81-year-old country singer and songwriter diagnosed with terminal cancer. The same day, King lost his battle with the disease and passed away at home in Old Sand Mountain, Alabama, according to King's label, Locust Music.

King started playing guitar by teaching himself at the age of 10, and in 1955, he and his band the Country Drifters recorded a few tracks at Memphis' legendary Sun Studio. (The list of people who cut their recording teeth there also includes Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and many others.)

After that time, King seemingly disappeared from any sort of public eye until re-emerging in 2005 with his debut album, Saw Mill Man, which came out on Locust Music.

Even though King has passed, money is still needed to help his family cover medical and funeral expenses. Through its website, the Chicago label is hosting an MP3 of "Saved", a song that would have appeared on a Saw Mill Man follow-up. Just below the MP3 is a link to donate to a PayPal account, 100% of the proceeds from which will go to help King's family.

As previously reported, there will be a benefit concert for King on December 29 at JJ's Bohemia in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The show will feature sets from Citico Stringband, the Bohannons, and Saw Mill Man producer Matt Downer.

Finally, King's music will live on next year, as it provides the backdrop to the closing credits of the forthcoming Gus Van Sant movie Paranoid Park.