Guitarist W.G. Snuffy Walden was best known for his simple yet distinctive acoustic scores for a number of hit television series, most notably his influential work on the classic thirtysomething. Born in Louisiana in 1950, Walden first surfaced at age 15 backing B.J. Thomas, later fronting the band Stray Dog during three LPs recorded during the mid-1970s; as a session guitarist, he worked with Stevie Wonder on the seminal Songs in the Key of Life, in addition to projects from Greg Lake and Eric Burdon. He also briefly pursued a career as an actor.