LD Beghtol passed away this week at the age of 55. The cause of death has yet to be revealed. He was best known for contributing seven songs to the Magnetic Fields’ classic triple album 69 Love Songs. He also wrote the 33 ⅓ volume on it, 69 Love Songs: A Field Guide. Asides from collaborating with the Magnetic Fields, he also fronted several projects, Moth Wranglers, LD & the New Criticism and Flare Acoustic Arts League.
Beghtol grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee, but moved to New York when he was 30. He first formed Flare and played with them for a couple of years before appearing on 69 Love Songs in 1999. Around that time, he reportedly played a few fun concerts with The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt and Dudley Kludt as The Three Terrors.
Flare was his main outfit, with which he released three albums, Bottom (1997), Hung (2003) and Cut (2009). In between Hung and Cut he released an album with The New Criticism. As Moth Wranglers, he also put out three albums at the start of the 2000s.
Asides from playing as a musician, he spent some years writing and doing art for some news publications, mainly The Village Voice. He also ran a podcast called Uncle LD’s High Bias through the magazine’s site.
The 69 Love Songs tracks he sung are “All My Little Words,” “The One You Really Love” (along with Merritt), “My Sentimental Melody,” “Roses,” “The Way You Say Good-Night,” “Bitter Tears” and “For We Are the King of the Boudoir.” He also designed the cover artwork and booklet for the 3-disc vinyl box set.
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