Left us last Saturday, apparently in the midst of treatment for advanced stages of cancer. He was 68.
Immortalized for his input on Trout Mask Replica in particular, but also responsible for the grim axesound on Strictly Personal (as in the complete sonic attacks of "Kandy Korn" and the slide orgies on Mirror Man), he joined the Magic Band as second guitarist and replacement for Ry Cooder in late '67. According to Beefheart lore, on first meeting he jumped out at Van Vliet from behind a bush where Cotton was imitating birdsong wearing nothing but a wornout female nightdress.
The real story being somewhat more prosaic I suppose, Cotton was recruited by way of connections to singer/songwriter Merrell Fankhauser - himself prone to cult status - whom Cotton would join later on in the semi-legendary MU, whose excellent yet highly underrated first album displays other assets to Cotton's playing and songwriting skills.
I'm surprised no one else has picked up on this, so here it goes. R.I.P.
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