Mary Chapin Carpenter Producer John Jennings Dead at 61

John Jennings — known for his work with Mary Chapin Carpenter in the 1980s — died on Friday (Oct. 16) of kidney cancer at a hospice center in Rockville, Md. He was 61.

Best known for his collaboration with Carpenter as a co-producer, guitarist and co-writer, Jennings played several instruments including the drums, bass, keyboard and acoustic, electric, slide, lap, steel and baritone guitar.

"He could play anything," Carpenter writes in an e-mail to the Washington Post. "And his knowledge, talent and supreme great taste informed everything he did."

In addition to producing albums for Carpenter, the Indigo Girls, John Gorka, Iris Dement and Janis Ian, he released several solo albums. He leaves his greatest mark for his work with Carpenter, though, where he performed and produced on eight albums and 11 Top 10 singles. He also received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year for her album He Thinks He'll Keep Her in 1993.

Jennings was born in Harrisonburg, Va., in 1953. Throughout most of his career he was based in the surrounding Washington area. He lived in Potomac, Md., since 1998 leading up to his death. He was diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer in March 2014 and is survived by his companion of 17 years, Tamara Meyer, and a brother.