Lung cancer has taken the life of singer-songwriter Chris Whitley. The 45-year-old died Sunday in Houston, according to his record label, Messenger Records.

Whitley was best known for a musical style that covered everything from roots, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, electronica, and jazz.

“I’m always looking for something kind of melancholy,” Whitley told the Houston Chronicle earlier this year. “I guess I was trying to mix these things without really knowing it. I write in a way that’s more subconscious, just trying to articulate some mystery that’s not obvious.”

On Whitley?s website, a special message has been posted by his brother, Daniel. “I hope you all will mourn my brother’s death, but more important, celebrate his life as Chris was all about life and living,” Daniel wrote. “I started the celebration by cranking up `Dirt Floor’ in his honor.”

Whitley released ?Dirt Floor? in 1998. It?s one of the 11 albums he has recorded since his 1991 debut, “Living with the Law.” His last album, “Soft Dangerous Shores,” was released this year.






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