A colleague of SXSW co-founder Louis Meyers says the musician has died on the day the major entertainment festival opened for the 30th year. He was 60.
Folk Alliance International Director Aengus Finnan said Meyers died Friday in Austin. The cause of death wasn't immediately known.
Finnan replaced Meyers as head of the Kansas City-based folk music association in 2014. He called Meyers a "musician's musician" and a leader in the industry.
Meyers helped start SXSW in 1987 with the hopes of bringing more exposure to Austin musicians. He left the festival in the mid-1990s before SXSW grew into one of the biggest annual music events in the world. President Barack Obama spoke at the festival Friday, becoming the first sitting president to do so.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
