Since August 2025, when Rich Brotherton, the longtime guitarist for Robert Earl Keen, was diagnosed with ALS, Texas musicians have been rallying around him. The 13 months since have seen a collective effort to lift his spirits, led by Keen, who organized a fundraiser concert, and joined by San Antonio songwriter John Baumann, who released a tribute song.
Keen Organizes a Benefit
Through his Applause for the Cause program, Keen arranged the fundraiser, which he introduced during a concert for Texas flood victims in 2025. The event took place at the Devil’s Backbone Tavern in the Texas Hill Country, and every penny raised went straight to Brotherton.
Baumann’s Tribute Song
Baumann released a song titled “Brotherton,” a tribute to the guitarist who mentored him and produced his 2012 debut EP, West Texas Vernacular. Brotherton was both a mentor to Baumann and the producer of that project.
“I learned a lot about making records with him, but I also saw someone who is a true ray of light in a dark business,” Baumann told Rolling Stone. “Always kind, positive, without ego, a friend to all. Just a really wonderful soul.”
A Career Built on Kindness
Baumann entered Brotherton’s studio when he was still just 24 years old and “totally clueless,” and the older musician took him in even though he didn’t know the difference between an XLR and a quarter-inch cable. Brotherton liked his songs and believed in them.
“Rich Brotherton might be the reason I have a career in the music business,” Baumann said. “He welcomed me into his studio when I was 24 years old and totally clueless. I didn’t know the difference between an XLR and a quarter inch cable. But he liked my songs and believed in them and took a chance.”
A Decade of Influence
When Brotherton joined Keen’s group in 1994, the singer’s following was expanding, especially among the early-20s set in college towns like College Station, Stephenville, and Lubbock. The addition gave Keen’s live show more weight, since he had formerly performed as a four-piece act featuring himself on acoustic guitar alongside a fiddle, bassist, and drummer.
Both flatpicking acoustic and electric lead work came naturally to Brotherton, and he put those skills to use on Keen’s sound a rock edge. The two recorded Keen’s 1996 LP, No 2. Live Dinner, recorded live at John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes, Texas, and at the Cactus Cafe in Austin. The album features Brotherton, steel guitar player Lloyd Maines, and fiddle player Bryan Duckworth trading extended solos on Keen’s signature song, “The Road Goes on Forever.”.
By the close of the decade, Keen had become the most celebrated figure in Texas music, and his audiences across the Lone Star State often reached into the tens of thousands.
A Split That Still Stings
Keen’s band lost Brotherton in 2019, and the stated cause then was an unbridgeable rift. Looking back, Keen admits that the responsibility for smoothing things over rested with him, even though he never took it up.
“I labor over that mistake,” Keen said. “Although one can’t overcome irremediable episodes, there are bridges to start anew, and most of my fans are Rich’s fans. The Devil’s Backbone concert was a testament to the longevity of Rich’s immeasurable contribution to our band. Rich and I were able to build a new bridge with that effort.”
The Benefit at Devil’s Backbone
Keen organized a benefit at Devil’s Backbone Tavern and played a few songs there. The benefit was livestreamed on Keen’s YouTube channel, and Duckworth made an appearance there, even though he has mostly stepped away from music. The entire show can still be seen on that channel.
Keen and Brotherton did not disclose how much money was raised at the show.
A Second Fundraiser
A second benefit, “A Night for Rich Brotherton,” was organized at Austin’s Paramount Theatre in late 2025 by a group of artists including Patty Griffin, Charley Crockett, and Lyle Lovett. That show raised nearly $80,000.
Baumann tried to get a share of the money from the song that carries his name, but Brotherton refused to let him in on it.
“I tried to get him to take the proceeds from the song I wrote,” Baumann said. “He refused.”
The Response So Far
A strong personal connection underlies the reaction to the benefit concert for Brotherton’s diagnosis has been swift and generous. Keen, centered on a tribute song about Devil’s Backbone Tavern drew fellow musicians, while Baumann.
Keen’s decision to organize the concert was a direct attempt to repair a bridge that had broken years earlier. His fans responded, and the show became a statement of Brotherton’s enduring importance to the band.
| Event | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Devil’s Backbone concert | Devil’s Backbone Tavern, Texas Hill Country | All proceeds to Brotherton |
| “A Night for Rich Brotherton” | Austin’s Paramount Theatre | Nearly $80,000 raised |
Even within an industry founded upon individual skill, the connections between performers prove far more significant than anyone could have anticipated.
Source material: “Robert Earl Keen’s Longtime Guitarist Received an ALS Diagnosis. Texas Music Is Rallying,” Rolling Stone.
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