Chris Whitley died three years ago today. He was 45. It was unexpected, even to his diehard fans, of which I am one. I remember hearing about it and thinking “OD” — he was perilously gaunt and rumors of drug abuse swirled around him — then I was strangely relieved to find out it was lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker.

Whitley was a nomadic, uncompromising singer, songwriter and guitarist who, in my view, was an unheralded genius.

Today is Chris Whitley Tribute Day on Tampa Calling and the new CL Music website. I’m hoping to make some Whitley converts. Check out CLTV for videos of the master on stage. His Dobro playing alone is bound to blow you away.

Whitley’s first album, Living With the Law (1991) was his most successful. It had a desert blues feel, built around his acoustic slide work and haunting voice. The track “Kick the Stones” made a visceral imprint on the ’91 blockbuster movie Thelma and Louise. “Big Sky Country,” “Phone Call From Leavenworth” and other songs heralded a unique new voice that was poised for stardom.

Four years passed before Whitley released a follow-up, not exactly the best strategy for career momentum — but, as it turns out, that was just Chris being Chris.

This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2008.

Eric Snider is the dean of Bay area music critics. He started in the early 1980s as one of the founding members of Music magazine, a free bi-monthly. He was the pop music critic for the then-St. Petersburg...