"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, the pedal steel guitarist who co-founded 1960s country-rock group the Flying Burrito Brothers, died January 6 from complications of Alzheimer's disease, his family said late yesterday. He was 72.

Kleinow, who started the influential band with the Byrds' Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons in 1968, had been living at a nursing home in Petaluma, California, 40 miles north of San Francisco. He had been ill for a year and half, according to his daughter, Anita.

The Flying Burrito Brothers broke up in 1973, but Kleinow participated in several reunion tours well into the 1990s. He also worked as a session musician for the likes of John Lennon, Fleetwood Mac, and Joni Mitchell.

Seven years ago, he founded the band Burrito Deluxe, and played and recorded with them regularly until he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and moved into a nursing home. Kleinow last performed with the band in 2005. His final recordings with the band are expected to hit stores in February.

But music was in many ways a diversion for Kleinow from his primary work as an animator and visual effects artist. Kleinow created special effects for films such as The Empire Strikes Back, Gremlins, The Terminator, and Terminator 2. He also worked on NBC's The Gumby Show in the 1960s.

Kleinow won an Emmy award for his special effects on the TV miniseries The Winds of War in 1983.

The family has not yet announced funeral arrangements.