{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Short description|American musician (1955–2020)}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = | name = Bucky Baxter | birth_name = William Baxter | alias = | birth_date = 1955 | birth_place = Melbourne, Florida, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and given age|2020|5|25|65}} | death_place = Sanibel, Florida, U.S. | origin = | instrument = Steel guitar<br/>Acoustic guitar<br/>Electric guitar<br/>Mandolin<br/>Dobro | genre = Country music<br/>Alternative country<br/>Rock | occupation = | years_active = 1986–2020 | label = | past_member_of = Steve Earle and the Dukes | website = }}
'''William''' "'''Bucky'''" '''Baxter''' (1955{{spnd}}May 25, 2020) was an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of Steve Earle and The Dukes and as a member of Bob Dylan's backing band in the mid-90s during the Never Ending Tour. He released his only solo album, ''Most Likely, No Problem'', in 1999.
==Early life== Baxter was born in Melbourne, Florida, in 1955. He started learning how to play pedal steel guitar in the 1970s.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite news|title=Bucky Baxter, Pedal-Steel Great Who Toured With Bob Dylan, Dead at 65|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/bucky-baxter-bob-dylan-dead-obit-1004905/|first=Joseph|last=Hudak|date=May 26, 2020|accessdate=May 26, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref><ref name=Exclaim>{{cite news|title=R.I.P. Acclaimed Pedal Steel Guitarist Bucky Baxter|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/r_i_p_acclaimed_pedal_steel_guitarist_bucky_baxter|first=Calum|last=Slingerland|date=May 26, 2020|accessdate=May 26, 2020|magazine=Exclaim!}}</ref> In the following decade, he met Steve Earle and played on the latter's debut album, ''Guitar Town'' in 1986.<ref name="Rolling Stone"/><ref name=Andrew>{{cite news|title=Bucky Baxter, Pedal Steel Guitarist Who Toured With Bob Dylan, Dead at 65|url=https://popculture.com/country-music/news/bucky-baxter-pedal-steel-guitarist-toured-bob-dylan-dead-65/|first=Stephen|last=Andrewland|date=May 26, 2020|accessdate=May 26, 2020|work=PopCulture.com|publisher=CBS Interactive}}</ref>
==Career== Baxter was a founding member of The Dukes, Earle's backing band.<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> He subsequently featured in three other albums by Earle – ''Exit 0'' (1987),<ref name=Exclaim/> ''Copperhead Road'' (1988) and ''The Hard Way'' (1990)<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> – providing vocals and guitar.<ref name=Exclaim/> It was on one of Earle's concert tours in the early 1990s that he first encountered Bob Dylan, who asked Baxter to give him lessons in how to play steel guitar.<ref name="Rolling Stone"/><ref name=Andrew/> He played pedal steel guitar for Dylan's band on his Never Ending Tour from 1992 to 1999 and played pedal steel on Dylan's 1997 Grammy Award winning album, ''Time Out of Mind''. After his time in Dylan's band came to an end, Baxter released a solo album, ''Most Likely, No Problem'', in 1999.<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> He was one of three co-founders of Moontoast, a social rich media advertising platform.<ref>[http://www.venturenashville.com/star-backed-nashville-startup-toasts-global-knowledge-cms-250]"Venture Nashville, 2009"</ref>
Baxter also appeared on various albums by artists including Ryan Adams, R.E.M., Beastie Boys and Joe Henry.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-Bob Dylan, Steve Earle Steel Player Joins Joe Pug At Mango's|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/ex-bob-dylan-steve-earle-steel-player-joins-joe-pug-at-mangos-6496723|first=William Michael|last=Smith|date=July 12, 2010|accessdate=May 26, 2020|magazine=Spin}}</ref> In studio, or while performing live, Baxter played steel guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, dobro.<ref name=AllMusic/><ref>{{cite news|title=Bob Dylan, Unplugged and Electric|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/12/06/bob-dylan-unplugged-and-electric/42df4af7-9827-4901-ad87-7b9f1a45a09d/|first= Richard|last=Harrington|date=December 6, 1997|accessdate=May 25, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>
==Death== Baxter died on May 25, 2020, in Sanibel Island, Florida, at the age of 65, according to his son, Rayland.<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> No cause was given.<ref name=Spin>{{cite news|title=Bucky Baxter, Bob Dylan and R.E.M. Pedal-Steel Guitarist, Dies at 65|url=https://www.spin.com/2020/05/bucky-baxter-bob-dylan-and-r-e-m-pedal-steel-guitarist-dies-at-65/|first=Daniel|last=Kohn|date=May 26, 2020|accessdate=May 26, 2020|magazine=Spin}}</ref>
==Discography== <small>Source:<ref name=AllMusic>{{cite web|title=Bucky Baxter – Credits|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bucky-baxter-mn0000640083/credits|website=AllMusic|accessdate=May 26, 2020}}</ref></small> {|class="wikitable" ! scope=col| Year ! scope=col| Artist ! scope=col| Title ! scope=col| Instruments |- | 1986 | rowspan="3" | Steve Earle | ''Guitar Town''<ref name=Spin/> | Pedal steel guitar |- | 1987 | ''Exit 0''<ref name=Spin/> | Steel guitar, vocals |- | rowspan="2" | 1988 | ''Copperhead Road''<ref name=Spin/> | Pedal steel, lap steel, dobro |- | R.E.M. | ''Green''<ref name=Spin/> | Pedal steel guitar |- | 1990 | rowspan="2" | Steve Earle | ''The Hard Way''<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> | Mullins pedal steel guitar |- | 1991 | ''Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator'' | Steel guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, six-string bass |- | 1995 | Bob Dylan | ''Unplugged'' | Dobro, pedal steel guitar, mandolin |- | 1996 | Joe Henry | ''Trampoline'' | |- | 1997 | Bob Dylan | ''Time Out of Mind'' | Acoustic guitar, pedal steel |- | rowspan="2" | 1999 | Bucky Baxter | ''Most Likely, No Problem'' | |- | Country Mike | ''Country Mike's Greatest Hits''<ref name=Spin/> | Pedal steel guitar, fiddle |- | rowspan="2" | 2001 | rowspan="3" | Ryan Adams | ''The Suicide Handbook'' | Acoustic guitar |- | ''Gold'' | Steel guitar |- | rowspan="2" | 2002 | ''Demolition'' | Pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals |-- | Los Lobos | ''Good Morning Aztlán'' | Pedal steel guitar |- |2003 | Cerys Matthews | ''Cockahoop'' | Producer, electric guitar, fiddle, vibraphone |- | rowspan="2" | 2005 | Ben Folds | ''Songs for Silverman'' | Pedal steel guitar, 12-string guitar |- | Willy Clay Band | ''Rebecca Drive'' | Pedal steel |}
==References== {{reflist}} *Gray, Michael. ''The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia'', 2006, p. 41
==External links== * {{Discogs artist|Bucky Baxter}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Bucky}} Category:1955 births Category:2020 deaths Category:People from Melbourne, Florida Category:Pedal steel guitarists Category:Guitarists from New Jersey Category:Guitarists from Florida Category:American male guitarists