R&B guitarist Cornell Dupree dies

Cornell Dupree, 68, the rhythm-and-blues guitarist whose work graced innumerable recordings by artists including Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt and Mariah Carey, died May 8 at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. He had emphysema and was awaiting a lung transplant.

As a mainstay of New York recording studios, Dupree's career spanned more than four decades and, by his estimation, nearly 2,500 albums. He was among the elite in a small cadre of musicians who turned in memorable, often crucial hooks in a song and did not mind being overshadowed by the main performer.

Writer and guitarist Josh Alan Friedman called Dupree "the ultimate unshowoff." Some of his prettiest guitar lines colored one of the most melancholy -- and sentimental -- songs in rhythm and blues, Brook Benton's 1970 recording of "Rainy Night in Georgia." His guitar engaged Franklin in bluesy conversation on "Respect" (1967), helped take saxophonist King Curtis to church on the gospel-flavored "Soul Serenade" (1964) and later laid a rhythmic foundation for Carey's 1991 hit "Emotions."

Cornell Luther Dupree was born Dec. 19, 1942, in Fort Worth. As a young teen, he was inspired to learn guitar after seeing a performance by bluesman Johnny "Guitar" Watson and soon started sitting in with older R&B musicians. In 1961, he was recruited to New York by King Curtis.

In the 1970s, Dupree toured with the funk band Stuff. In later years, Dupree performed with the Soul Survivors.