Remembering Brother Dege

We are very sad to receive the news of the death of a musician who left a strong impression on us at the blacksheep Festival in 2018: Dege Legg aka Brother Dege from Lafayette, Louisiana, died unexpectedly at the age of 56. Dege got his breakthrough in 2011 when Quentin Tarantino used his song “Too Old to Die Young” in his film “Django Unchained.”

Brother Dege at the blacksheep Festival 2018

Dege Legg had a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, worked as a taxi driver, dishwasher, journalist, laborer, warehouse worker, mechanic, driver, cook and social worker in a homeless shelter until he was able to make a living more and more from his music and writing. In 2020, he published his fourth book, “Cablog: Diary of a Cabdriver.” Before Django Unchained, he led the rock band Santeria for ten years. He moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to pursue a possible record deal.

After returning to his birthplace of Lafayette, Legg played guitar with C.C. Adcock’s band, the Lafayette Marquis, founded the Black Bayou Construkt. In 2009, Legg began recording the album Folk Songs of the American Longhair, which also included “Too Old to Die Young.” “Honestly,” Tarantino said of the album, “every song on the CD could have been in the movie.”…Almost any song could be a theme song. It’s like a greatest hits album.”

Many condolences on Social Media

“What I admired most about you was your humble kindness.” With these words Eric Adcock reacted to the news of Brother Dege’s death. “And… no ego – that was so refreshing in the music scene. And always an intelligent, insightful conversation and a genuine interest in others. You worked incredibly hard and with strategic focus to reach great heights in a very difficult career path, and that was admired by all.”

Bassist Geoff Thistlewaite wrote: “I’m old enough to have seen many friends go… But this heartache is one of the worst ever.”

“It was an honor to meet you and work with you,” wrote Laura Huval of the band Sweet Cecilia. “Without you, music and the world wouldn’t be the same.” New Orleans musician Dave Jordan wrote: “Some people are just imbued with authenticity and Dege radiated that. A killer guitarist and consummate artist, relentless in his originality and authentic to the core. The type of artist that appeals to me the most.”

The video that we show on our website was filmed 2018 at the blacksheep festival. We will remember Brother Dege alias Dege Legg fondly. His great music resonates for a long time.