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Guitar Gable
Birth name Gabriel Perrodin
Born (1937-08-17)August 17, 1937
Bellevue, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States
Died January 28, 2017(2017-01-28) (aged 79)
Opelousas, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres Swamp blues
Louisiana blues
Swamp pop
Occupation(s) Singer, guitarist, songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Labels Excello, various

Gabriel Perrodin (born August 17, 1937 – died January 28, 2017) was an American musician. He was famously known as Guitar Gable. He played Louisiana blues, swamp blues, and swamp pop music.

Guitar Gable was well-known for recording the first version of the song "This Should Go On Forever". He was also a big part of the lively swamp blues and pop music scene in Louisiana during the 1950s and early 1960s.

The Early Life of Guitar Gable

Gabriel Perrodin was born in Bellevue, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. His father was part of the Creole community.

Learning to Play Guitar

Guitar Gable taught himself to play the guitar when he was a teenager. He was greatly inspired by the music of another famous guitarist, Guitar Slim.

Forming the Musical Kings

Gable first started a group called the Swing Masters. Later, he met Bernard Jolivette, who was known as King Karl. A priest named Father Millet helped them connect.

King Karl met Guitar Gable at a Swing Masters concert. After that, Gable decided to leave his first band. He joined King Karl, his brother Clinton "Fats" Perrodin (who played bass guitar), and drummer Clarence "Jockey" Etienne. Together, they formed a new band called the Musical Kings.

Recording Music and Famous Songs

The Musical Kings became a very important group for record producer J. D. "Jay" Miller. They were often the main band playing in Miller's recording studio.

Backing Other Musicians

The Musical Kings helped many other musicians record their songs. They played for artists like Lazy Lester, Classie Ballou, Skinny Dynamo, Bobby Charles, and Slim Harpo.

One famous song they played on was "I'm a King Bee" by Slim Harpo. This song was recorded in March 1957. It was first released as the B-side of Harpo's first solo song, "I Got Love if You Want It." But "I'm a King Bee" became so popular that Excello Records switched the sides. This made "I'm a King Bee" the main song. On this recording, Gable played guitar, Fats Perrodin played bass, and Jockey Etienne played drums.

Guitar Gable's Own Hits

Guitar Gable and the Musical Kings released their first song for Excello Records in 1956. Their first track was a fast instrumental song called "Congo Mombo." It used the tune from the old song "Frankie and Johnny." The other side of the record was "Life Problem," which featured King Karl singing.

Their next release included a classic swamp pop song called "Irene." This song later influenced Jimmy Clanton's hit song "Just A Dream."

Popular Instrumentals and Ballads

Later songs by Guitar Gable often followed a similar pattern. He released instrumental songs with a Caribbean feel, like "Congo Mombo," "Guitar Rhumbo," and "Gumbo Mombo." These were often paired with rock and roll tracks such as "Cool, Calm, Collected" and "Walking in the Park."

However, the songs that got the most attention were his blues-influenced ballads. These included "Irene," "Life Problem," and "This Should Go On Forever." Gable and his band recorded "This Should Go On Forever" in 1958. But Jay Miller, the producer, didn't like it much.

A different version of the song was recorded by Rod Bernard. His version became very popular, reaching the Top 20 on the US Billboard R&B music chart. Guitar Gable's original song was finally released in February 1959. But it did not become as successful as Rod Bernard's version.

Later Career and Life

After some disagreements, Gable and Karl left Jay Miller and Excello Records. They released music on smaller labels like La Louisianne and Tamm in the early 1960s.

Gable also served in the armed forces. After his service, he continued to play with his own band. He performed in local clubs until 1968. In the 1970s, Gable regularly played with Lil' Bob and the Lollipops. He then stopped performing for a while in the 1980s.

Returning to Music

In 1990, Gable appeared on Lil' Bob's CD called Back Again. This album was released on the Vidrine label. In the 1990s, C.C. Adcock convinced Guitar Gable to return to performing live music.

Gable's guitar playing was also featured on Slim Harpo's 2011 compilation album called Rocks.

Guitar Gable passed away in a hospital in Opelousas, Louisiana, on January 28, 2017. He was 79 years old.

Discography

This section lists the music that Guitar Gable released.

Singles

Date A-side B-side Label Credit(s)
June 1956 "Life Problem" "Congo Mombo" Excello Records Guitar Gable and the Musical Kings
November 1956 "Guitar Rhumbo" "Irene" Excello Records Guitar Gable and the Musical Kings
May 1957 "It's Hard, But It's Fair" "Cool, Calm, Collected" Excello Records Guitar Gable
October 1957 "Gumbo Mombo" "What's The Matter With My Baby" Excello Records Guitar Gable
June 1958 "Walking in the Park" "Have Mercy on Me" Excello Records Guitar Gable with King Karl
February 1959 "This Should Go On Forever" "Please Operator" Excello Records Guitar Gable

Albums

Year Title Label Credit(s)
1984 Cool, Calm, Collected Flyright Records Guitar Gable with King Karl

Selected Compilation Albums

Date Title Label Song by Gable
June 1960 Tunes To Be Remembered Excello Records "Congo Mombo"
1972 The Excello Story Excello Records "This Should Go On Forever"

See also

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