BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Russ Rosser, a guitarist who was a mainstay of the local music scene in Gadsden and across Alabama, has died.
Rosser, a “ one-man band ” who would often play restaurants, bars and small clubs with a unique guitar he designed himself, died earlier this week. According to online records, he was 68 years old.
Rosser first picked up the guitar when he was 13 and spent the rest of his life playing in bands and on his own as a solo act. For years, he was particularly known for a custom Formica guitar that was wired for him to be able to play guitar, drums and sing at the same time, as well as access sounds not common on guitar alone, such as synth and keyboards. The guitar was stolen following a gig in 2017 and, as of Thursday, was never recovered.
In 2009, Rosser experienced tragedy when he severed three fingers on his left hand in a saw accident. For a time, he thought his music career was over.
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