LifeNotes: Noted Guitarist Pete Huttlinger Passes

Pete Huttlinger

Nashville acoustic-guitar great Pete Huttlinger has died at age 54.

He recorded more than 15 albums, toured and recorded with John Denver and won awards for his fleet-fingered playing. His instructional DVDs and guitar workshops taught many fellow musicians.

Huttlinger was the husband of Music Row publicist Erin Morris, the son-in-law of noted country music journalist Ed Morris and the brother-in-law of song publisher Jason Morris..

Pete Huttlinger was born in 1961 in Washington, D.C. He was a 1984 graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He won the National Fingerpick Guitar championship in 2000.

In addition to touring and recording with Denver, Huttlinger backed LeAnn Rimes and John Oates. He has been heard on records by Faith Hill, Jimmy Buffett and The Nashville Chamber Orchestra, among others.

He had a congenital heart defect, and this shadowed his career. Huttlinger had a stroke in 2010 that paralyzed his right arm and rendered him unable to speak. He fought his way back to health and launched a second career as a public speaker. His presentation was titled “Don’t Just Live: Live Well.”

Huttlinger walked the 2012 Music City Marathon with a bag containing a battery pack for his heart pump. He and his wife co-authored the 2015 book, Joined at the Heart: A Story of Love, Guitars, Resilience and Marigolds.

The guitarist suffered another stroke on Jan. 11. He died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Jan. 15.

He is survived by wife Erin Morris Huttlinger, stepchildren Sean Della Croce and James Della Croce, brother Frank Huttlinger and sister Theresa Vigour.

A memorial service will be scheduled later.