Weakened by lung cancer and devastated by the destruction of his beloved New Orleans, guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown died in Texas on Saturday.

His longtime keyboard player, Joe Krown, said Brown had evacuated to his brother's home in Orange, Texas, just before Hurricane Katrina struck. Brown was diagnosed with cancer last year but news that Katrina had ruined New Orleans and destroyed his home in Slidell was the final blow, Krown said. "There was nothing to go back to. He lost the will to live."

Brown, born in 1924 in Vinton, Louisiana, but raised in Orange, came from a musical family and played guitar, fiddle, mandolin, viola, harmonica and drums. A teacher said his deep voice sounded like a swinging gate, which led to the nickname "Gatemouth".Most of Brown's career memorabilia was lost."The only thing they saved was his legendary Firebird guitar," said Krown.