Agent and Author Paul Charles Remembers David Lindley

Paul Charles, the Irish-born agent, who is a partner in Asgard – one of the UK’s leading booking agencies – has paid tribute to David Lindley, the legendary guitar player, who died on Friday last, in California.

Lindley was among the finest guitarists of his generation – and featured in his own band El Rayo X, and as a solo artist, as well as with West Coast stars like Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder and Crosby & Nash. Paul Charles had booked European tours for David Lindley in various guises.

"The news of David Lindley’s passing is truly devastating,” Paul Charles said. "He really was the best of the best. A true genius.”

Best known for his guitar wizardry, David Lindley was a master stylist – but he was also a music obsessive.

"As he toured around the world with the various artists he was vital to,” Paul recalled, "he trawled the junkshops and pawnshops, seeking out weird and wonderful instruments. He could produce extraordinarily soulful music from any stringed instrument.”

David Lindley.

Paul Charles recalled David Lindley’s various adventures – including one that Paul himself put together.

"I did numerous tours with David,” he recalled, "when he played alongside Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder, and Crosby & Nash, among others, as well as with his own band, the legendary El Rayo X – who featured David on vocals and all manner of stringed instruments, Jorge Calderon on bass guitar and vocals, Ian Wallace on drums and Bernie Larsen on keys, guitar and vocals.

"And not forgetting the Guitarist Nights – a few precious concerts we put together with David, Richard Thompson, Rory Gallagher and Juan Martin. Those gigs were very special. “

If David Lindley was a supremely talented musician, he was also more than that. He was a character – in many ways the real rock ’n’ roll deal.

"I remember seeing him one night solo on stage at the Beacon Theatre, New York,” Paul Charles recalled. “If I remember right, it was a double bill with Richard Thompson – and he introduced every song in his set in the guise of either Jimmy Stewart or Rev Ian Paisley. It was hilarious, and really good fun. His impressions of both men were absolutely perfect. His guitar playing, of course, was even better! He was a legend, and will be sorely missed."