Steel guitar player Kleinow dies

The last album by his band Burrito Deluxe is released next month

US country-rock star "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, a steel guitar player and one of the original members of the Flying Burrito Brothers, has died aged 72.

He co-founded the band in 1968 with the Byrds' Chris Hillman plus Gram Parsons.

He recorded with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell, and was said to have influenced groups such as the Eagles.

Kleinow also worked as an animator, special effects designer and director of commercials, and won an Emmy award for TV series The Winds of War in 1983.

Other credits included The Empire Strikes Back, Under Siege, Fearless and the relaunched version of The Twilight Zone.

Seven years ago, Kleinow founded the band Burrito Deluxe.

He played and recorded with them regularly until he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and moved into a nursing home.

His final recording with the group will be released in February, the group's manager said.