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Kenny never tired of recounting the time he accidentally served Dylan a bowl of spoiled guacamole.

Kenneth D Leichtling, contributor to a small but significant piece of American music history, passed peacefully in his sleep on August 31 after a short illness.

Kenny, known professionally as Kenny Davis, grew up in Bayside, NY alongside his older brother Jerry, a noted journalist and screenwriter. From early on, the brothers shared a passion for music. At 16, Kenny picked up a guitar originally belonging to his brother, and quickly learned the rudiments from his scoutmaster, Victor. Going to the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park with Jerry sparked a lifelong love of live performance.

In the 1970s, Kenny worked at the renowned Greenwich Village nightclub The Bitter End, where he interacted with talents such as Curtis Mayfield, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Johnny Rivers, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Billy Crystal (who was the house comedian). But the one performer Kenny was most intrigued by was Bob Dylan. He never tired of recounting the time he accidentally served Dylan a bowl of spoiled guacamole - which his patron used as an ashtray before returning it - or the time he was asked to sit beside Bob and Joan Baez and "dissuade" fans from approaching the famously fraught duo. The highlight, though, was when the recalcitrant star allowed Kenny to play a set with him - a tacit sign of approval from the man Kenny took to be his hero.

A favorite pastime was rooting for the Yankees and attending many of their playoff and World Series games.

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Kenneth leaves a legacy of sterling guitar riffs and a very deep and abiding love for his son, Jake.

In the 1980s, Ken was invited to join Opryland On the Road, flying to Nashville for rehearsal and then joining the tour in Branson, MO.

He later returned to the NY area and gigged throughout the northeast, most notably with the popular country band Six Gun. He got a big kick out of Susanna Clark - Guy Clark's wife - introducing him to country great Emmylou Harris as "the greatest living guitarist."

In 1997, while living outside Tampa, FL, Ken and his wife Jeanne welcomed their beloved only child, Jacob.

Though Ken eventually relocated to Nashville for a job opportunity and he and Jeanne ultimately split, he returned regularly to Tampa to see his son.

When Jeanne and Jake moved just east of Syracuse, NY, in 2012, Ken soon followed to remain close to Jake, who eventually moved in with him.

Kenneth is survived by his son Jacob Richard, his brother, Jerrold, and numerous cousins. He was predeceased by his mother, Mary (Gold) Leichtling and his father, Seymour Leichtling.

He will be missed by family and friends alike, and leaves a legacy of sterling guitar riffs and a very deep and abiding love for his son, Jake.