Obits in Brief

Stephen Bruton

The guitarist and songwriter Stephen Bruton, who died in Los Angeles on 9 May aged 55, made his name working with Kris Kristofferson, although his list of collaborators also included Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Rita Coolidge and Carly Simon.

Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Bruton moved with his family to Fort Worth, Texas at the age of two. A musical prodigy, after graduating from Texas Christian University he began his 40-year association with Kristofferson. He also released five solo albums and was the guitarist many long-time associates went to when they needed an evocative sound or instrumental colour.

Maria Amelia Lopez

Maria Amelia Lopez, who died on 20 May aged 97, was a Spanish great-grandmother who described herself as the world's oldest blogger and became a Web phenomenon as she mused on current and past events.

Lopez, who died in her home town of Muxia in Galicia, started blogging in 2006 after her grandson created the site as a 95th birthday present. The blog attracted more than 1.7m hits as Lopez shared her thoughts on everything from life in Spain under Franco to the invasion of Iraq. Lopez became a campaigner for digital rights for older people, and took tea with Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister.