Paul Cotton, the lead guitarist and singer-songwriter for the country-rock band Poco, died July 31, his wife said. He was 78.
Cotton died near his summer home in Eugene, Oregon, his wife, Caroline Ford Cotton, told The New York Times. She did not reveal a cause of death.
Cotton’s death came less than four months after Rusty Young, the band’s longtime steel guitarist. Young died April 14 at the age of 75.
Cotton joined the band in 1970 as a replacement for founding member Jim Messina, the Times reported.
“There was no doubt that he was the guy to replace Jimmy,” Poco co-founder Richie Furay said in a 2000 interview with soundwaves.com. “We knew that he was bringing a little bit of an edge to our sound, and we wanted to be a little more rock ‘n’ roll sounding.”
>> Rusty Young, Poco co-founder, ‘Crazy Love’ vocalist, dead at 75
Cotton was one of the group’s primary songwriters, according to his obituary.
He wrote the 1979 hit “Heart of the Night,” and was also the lead singer. His other compositions with Poco included “Barbados,” “Indian Summer,” and “Bad Weather.” Cotton also sang co-lead vocals on songs including “Rose of Cimarron.”
Norman Paul Cotton, the oldest of five children, was born on Feb. 26, 1943, in Fort Rucker, Alabama, the Times reported. His father, Norman Cotton, owned several grocery stores in the southeastern part of the state. His mother; Edna Cotton, kept the books for the family business. Young Norm, as Paul Cotton was known as the time, began playing guitar at 13.
Cotton spent three decades on and off with Poco and also released several solo albums between 1990 and 2014, according to the Times.
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Poco guitarist Paul Cotton, who played lead guitar, sang and wrote songs for the country-rock band Poco, died July 31 in Eugene, Oregon. He was 78. (Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns, via Getty Images)
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Charles Geschke Charles "Chuck" Geschke, who co-founded Adobe Inc. in 1982, died April 16. He was 81. (Richard Drew/Associated Press )
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Lee Aaker Lee Aaker, a child actor in the 1950s who starred as the orphan Rusty alongside a German shepherd on "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," died April 1. He was 77. (CBS via Getty Images)
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Jessica Walter Jessica Walter attends the ABC Walt Disney Television Upfront on May 14, 2019 in New York City. Her daughter confirmed her death at the age of 80. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
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Marvelous Marvin Hagler Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the undisputed middleweight boxing champion from 1980 to 1987, died, his wife said March 13. He was 66.. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Roger Mudd Roger Mudd, a longtime political correspondent for CBS News who later moved to NBC, died March 9. He was 93. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Mark Pavelich Mark Pavelich, who set up the winning goal in the U.S. hockey team's "Miracle on Ice" victory against the Soviet Union in 1980. was found dead March 4 at a Minnesota treatment center. He was 63.. (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images )
Reggae legend Bunny Wailer dead at 73 Bunny Wailer, the last standing member of the Bob Marley group, The Wailers, is pictured on stage in Paris the July 20, 2014. The reggae icon died Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at the age of 73. (Michael Bunel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Prince Markie Dee Prince Markie Dee, a member of the Fat Boys hip-hop group, died Feb. 18. He was 52. (Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
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Chick Corea Chick Corea, who pioneered jazz fusion as a composer and keyboardist, died Feb. 9. He was 79. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
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Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson dead at 76 Singer Mary Wilson, a co-founder of legendary Motown group The Supremes, died Feb. 8, 2021, at age 76, multiple news outlets are reporting. (WIll Jacks/WireImage/Getty Images)
Leon Spinks Leon Spinks, right, who stunned the boxing world when he defeated Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title in February 1978, died Feb. 5. He was 67. (Associated Press )
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John Chaney Hall of Fame college basketball coach John Chaney, who led Temple University's basketball team to 17 NCAA tournament appearances in 24 years, died at the age of 89, the university announced Jan. 29. ( Joseph Labolito/WireImage)
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Jimmie Rodgers Jimmie Rodgers, who scored his biggest hit with "Honeycomb" in 1957, died Jan. 18. He was 87. (Jim McCrary/Redfern)
Legendary talk show host Larry King dead at 87 FILE PHOTO: Legendary talk show host Larry King has died. He was 87. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
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Bob Avian Tony Award-winning choreographer Bob Avian died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Jan. 21. He was 83. (Shiho Fukada/Associated Press, File)
Mira Furlan Actress Mira Furlan, who starred in all 111 episodes of "Babylon 5" and also appeared in "Lost." died Jan. 20. She was 65. ( Michael Schwartz/WireImage)
Baseball legend Hank Aaron dead at 86 FILE PHOTO: Legendary baseball slugger Henry “Hank” Aaron has died. He was 86. (Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
Don Sutton Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, who won 324 games and pitched for six pennant winners during his 23-year major league baseball career, died Jan. 18. He was 75. ( Andrew Snook/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Harry Brant Harry Brant, the son of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and businessman Peter Brant, died Jan. 17 from an accidental overdose. He was 24. ( Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)
Phil Spector has died at 81 FILE PHOTO: Music producer Phil Spector, known for his "Wall of Sound" and who was later convicted of murder, has died. He was 81. (Pool/Getty Images)
Sylvain Sylvain Sylvain Sylvain, a guitarist for the New York Dolls, a group that ushered in the punk rock era of the 1970s, died Jan. 13. He was 69. ( Matt Kent/WireImage)
Siegfried Fischbacher FILE PHOTO: Siegfried Fischbacher speaks during the 23rd annual Keep Memory Alive 'Power of Love Gala' benefit for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health at MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fischbacher died Jan. 15 at the age of 81. (Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Keep Memory Ali)
Sheldon Adelson FILE - This Feb. 10, 2017 file photo, Chief Executive of Las Vegas Sands Corporation Sheldon Adelson shows at a business roundtable with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. Adelson, the billionaire mogul and power broker who built a casino empire spanning from Las Vegas to China and became a singular force in domestic and international politics has died after a long illness, his wife said Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) (Andrew Harnik/AP)
Eve Branson FILE PHOTO: Richard Branson (L) and honoree Eve Branson attend the AltaMed Power Up, We Are The Future Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 12, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. Richard Branson announced the death of his mother due to COVID-19. (Michael Kovac)
Nancy Bush Ellis FILE PHOTO: This Jan. 7, 1990, file photo shows President George H. W. Bush hiding behind his sister, Nancy Ellis, as he prepares for a jog along the C&O canal in the Georgetown section of Washington. A longtime Democrat who helped her Republican brother and nephew get elected president, died of complications of the coronavirus Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, at an assisted living facility in Concord, Massachusetts. She was 94. (Marcy Nighswander/AP)
Actor John Reilly dead at 86 Actor John Reilly is pictured holding his daughter, Caitlyn Reilly, when she was a child. The longtime soap opera actor died in early January 2021 of an undisclosed cause. (Courtesy Caitlyn Reilly)
Tommy Lasorda FILE PHOTO: Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers poses for a portrait during spring training photo day at Camelback Ranch on February 20, 2014 in Glendale, Arizona. The Dodgers announced Lasorda died at the age of 93. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Neil Sheehan Neil Sheehan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose articles on the Pentagon Papers triggered a court battle, died Jan. 7. He was 84. (Frederic Reglain/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Eric Jerome Dickey Bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey died Jan. 3 in Los Angeles. He was 59. (Joseph Jones via Associated Press )
Tanya Roberts FILE PHOTO: Actress Tanya Roberts arrives at the gala premiere of "Criss Angel Believe" by Cirque du Soleil at the Luxor Resort & Casino October 31, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The former Bond girl died Jan. 4 at the age of 65. Her death was confirmed after conflicting reports from her publicist and her companion. (Ethan Miller)
Gerry Marsden FILE PHOTO - In this April 25, 1964 file photo, Gerry Marsden leaps over his band, the Pacemakers. Gerry Marsden, the British singer and lead singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who was instrumental in turning a song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel” into one of the great anthems in the world of football, has died. He was 78. (AP)
Paul Westphal Hall of Fame basketball coach Paul Westphal died Jan. 2, the Phoenix Suns announced. He was 70. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Floyd Little Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little, who starred at Syracuse University and for the NFL's Denver Broncos, died Jan. 1. He was 78. ( Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images)