Gerald McCabe, a furniture designer whose passion for woodworking and love of music led to the creation of the Santa Monica folk music institution McCabe’s Guitar Shop, died on Sunday, January 17 in Eugene, Oregon, two days after suffering a heart attack. He was 82.
The store played an important role in the evolution of Southern California’s folk and bluegrass music community bringing local area musicians like Ry Cooder and the White brothers, Clarence and Roland, through its door during their formative years in music.
McCabe opened the store in 1958 and retained an interest in the business until 1986, when he chose to concentrate on furniture design.
The store became famous as the venue for live music at which many bluegrass and related music artists appeared, including Bill Monroe; Doc and Merle Watson; Ralph Stanley; Byron Berline; The Dillards; Seldom Scene; Norman Blake; and Del McCoury.
An obituary was published in the LA Times on January 22.
