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Obituaries

Bill Chinnock | Rock musician, 59

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Bill Chinnock, 59, a musician and founding member of what became Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died Wednesday, police in Yarmouth, Maine, said.

Mr. Chinnock, a blues and roots rock stylist, had Lyme disease, and police said they were called to his home by his live-in caregiver. Lt. Dean Perry would not comment on the cause of death but said, "It is not of a suspicious nature."

Mr. Chinnock's manager, Paul Pappas, told WCSH-TV that the guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter committed suicide.

A Newark, N.J., native, Mr. Chinnock was a key figure in the Asbury Park music scene that propelled Springsteen to stardom.

He moved to Maine in the 1970s. He made 13 albums and in 1987 won an Emmy for his song "Somewhere in the Night." A duet he later recorded with Roberta Flack was used for the soap opera Guiding Light.

His albums include Alive at the Loft, Dime Store Heroes, and Out on the Borderline.

In addition to performing at venues in Maine and around the country, he wrote music for films and television. - AP