John LaChapelle

March 5th, 2013, we lost a great guitarist, guitar instructor and human being.  John J. La Chapelle was 91 and most of his years on this earth were spent bringing the joy of music to thousands of students and audience members and fellow musicians.

Left to right: Jeff Day, John La Chapelle, Larry Coryell

I took lessons from John twenty seven years ago, starting around 1986.  He would whack his tuning fork on his knee, tune up his beautiful archtop electric and away we’d go. In the time I studied with him, I went from absolute beginner to learning songs off records by ear and playing in the high school jazz band.  John turned me on to Les Paul by loaning me a rare, valuable, original 10” EP from The Les Paul Trio, which included the amazing “Guitar Boogie” and was a revelation to me.  I came back the next week having learned to play “Guitar Boogie” and John was quick to praise my accomplishment, as he always was.  Endlessly encouraging and inspiring, John was a truly exceptional, gifted instructor.

I was fortunate enough to perform with John once, for a jazz band performance.  He was invited to sit in and play a solo.  I asked if he needed me to move my music stand so he could see the sheet music and he said, “No, that’s okay.”  I was sweating bullets. John was, by then, as much a guitar hero to me as Hendrix or Page and I was nervous to play back to back solos with this guy.  And I should have been!  I played some kind of sloppy mess then he took everyone into the heavens with a beautiful, expressive, perfectly harmonious solo.  Regardless of my performance, it was a day I’ll never forget and the memory is a warm one.

John with Lee Berger

We have so many teachers throughout our life; John La Chapelle was one of the best I knew and I was so, so lucky to have him show me a chord or two.  Rest in piece, brother.