Cast King, a revered country musician from Old Sand Mountain, Alabama, passed away at his home on December 13.

King was a self-taught musician from the early age of ten. Ironically, he didn’t make his debut, Saw Mill Man, until 1998 (at age 79) with local producer & musician Matt Downer. Prior to this, in 1955, his band The Country Drifters recorded a handful of songs at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis. Saw Mill Man became a widespread favorite, gathering acclaim from numerous publications including mxdwn.com, Rolling Stone, No Depression, Arthur, Mojo, Harp, Spin, Playboy, and The Wall Street Journal. While talk emerged of a movie about his life, none ever materialized; however, King’s music is featured in the closing credits of Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park which is expected for theatrical release in the U.S. in 2008.

Cast was working on a second album that was geared towards Gospel. The song “Saved,” from that effort, can be downloaded from www.locustmusic.com. If you can, consider making a paypal donation; 100% of the proceeds will go to Cast’s family to help cover medical and funeral expenses.