George McGuire, 58

by Daily Inter Lake
| January 18, 2007 5:01 AM

Legendary local musician George McGuire died of natural causes Jan. 15, 2007, at his home in Ferndale. George was born Feb. 9, 1948, in Compton, Calif. He graduated from Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, Calif.

He moved to Montana in 1980 and lived in several locations throughout the valley before settling in the Bigfork area, where he had resided since the early 1990s.

As a young guitar player in California, George and his band, Second Time, were signed by Capital Records and produced by Mike Curb. He recorded the score for the movie "Wild In the Streets" starring Richard Pryor. After California, George moved to Las Vegas, where he was offered the job of performing with Bill Medley and the Righteous Brothers. There he met Lee Ferrell and performed with Lee and other bands in the Las Vegas area for several years.

Upon arriving in Montana, George performed as a single act for a short time before others soon recognized his talent, and he began performing throughout Montana with various bands. No matter where or with whom he performed, George's incredible musical ability was able to elevate the performance of every player around him.

Everyone who knew George had a story about time well spent. "We never knew where we were headed, but we knew the adventure would be worth it. We also knew that we would have at least one more story that we might or might not be able to tell our children or grandchildren."

Because he reached out to so many other musicians, friends and fans, there will be a void in the local music scene forever.

George is survived by his daughter, Cameo; grandsons, Anthony and Andrew McGuire; his sisters, Reenie Gassman and Carla Walsh; and brothers, Mike and Mark Robb, all of California. He also leaves behind his dogs, Hazel and Maggie.

Funeral arrangements are pending. A memorial is planned at 2 p.m. Jan. 28, at the Garden Bar in Bigfork. All are welcome.

A memorial fund has been established for Cameo, Anthony and Andrew. Please send donations in care of Mike McFarland, P.O. Box 2356, Kalispell, MT 59903.