"Reggie Young, Revered Studio Guitarist, Dies At 82"

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And now we take a moment to remember guitarist Reggie Young.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

You might not know that name, but you certainly are familiar with some of the monster hits he played in, like Dusty Springfield's "Son Of A Preacher Man."

(SOUNDBITE OF DUSTY SPRINGFIELD'S "SON OF A PREACHER MAN")

MARTIN: And Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SUSPICIOUS MINDS")

ELVIS PRESLEY: (Singing) We're caught in a trap.

MARTIN: Young started his career in Memphis and eventually headed to Nashville in the 1970s. He was one of the most revered and in-demand session players of the time.

GREENE: He played guitar in Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline"...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWEET CAROLINE")

NEIL DIAMOND: (Singing) Where it began, I can't begin to knowing.

GREENE: ...And also the sitar intro on "Hooked On A Feeling" by B.J. Thomas.

(SOUNDBITE OF B.J. THOMAS SONG "HOOKED ON A FEELING")

GREENE: After playing sessions with The Highwaymen, which included Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, Young joined them on tour for several years. And in 1997, he was nominated for a Grammy for best country instrumental performance in "Going Back To Memphis."

MARTIN: Young died on Thursday of heart failure. He was 82 years old. B.J. Thomas tweeted out his remembrance - calling Young the, quote, "greatest guitar player of them all," in his book.

GREENE: Young's first ever album, a collection of his hits from Memphis to Nashville, is due out later this month.

(SOUNDBITE OF REGGIE YOUNG'S "EXIT 209")