Larry Knechtel of Yakima, an award-winning keyboard artist who accompanied generations of leading musicians and combos, is dead at 69.
Knechtel died Thursday of an apparent heart attack. His death was confirmed by a spokesman for Valley Hills Funeral Home in Yakima.
Knechtel was born in Bell, Calif., and performed live and in studio recordings with a wide range of artists, including Neil Diamond, Randy Newman, Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr. and Elvis Costello.
He earned a Grammy award for his arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," played keyboard on the Dixie Chicks' Grammy award-winning album "Taking the Long Way" and performed on the Hammond organ for the group's tour of the same name.
For Elvis Knechtel played bass on the soundtrack of Live a Little, Love a Little and bass and keyboards on the NBC-special.