NASHVILLE Tenn
NASHVILLE Tenn (Reuters) - Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, a rhythm and blues guitarist who co-wrote hits with singer Al Green, including "Take Me to the River," has died at the age 68 from complications related to emphysema.
Lawrence Mitchell, Hodges' friend and Royal Studio chief manager, confirmed the death on Wednesday, saying he died at a Dallas hospital during the weekend.
"He was one of the cornerstones of the Memphis sound," said Mitchell, grandson of late soul and funk producer Willie Mitchell, who used Hodges and his brothers Charles on organ and Leroy on bass for recording sessions.
Teenie Hodges teamed with R&B great Green for numerous hits, including "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" and "Love and Happiness." Their song "Take Me to the River" was a hit for Green and also covered by artists in various genres, including Tina Turner, Foghat, Talking Heads, Levon Helm, Tom Jones, the Grateful Dead and Bryan Ferry.
Hodges, given his nickname due to his diminutive size, also was the guitarist for the Hi Rhythm band, which included his brothers and was considered the house band for the Hi Records.
The Hi Records label thrived in the 1960s and '70s and helped make Memphis, Tennessee, a hotbed of soul and R&B recording, said Tim Sampson, communications director for the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis.
"A lot of times it was people behind the scenes, session players and writers like Teenie who made the big difference in the entire global music community," he said.
The band played at the South by Southwest Music festival in Austin, Texas, in March, a performance meant to coincide with a screening of the film "Take Me to the River," which looked at the inter-generational and inter-racial influences on Memphis music.
"He was sick when he did it," Mitchell said. "Nobody realised how sick he was."
(Writing by Jon Herskovitz in Austin; Editing by Bill Trott)
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