Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)

Subject: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 02:08 PM

Just heard from Lou Curtiss that Fred Gerlach has died. Not sure if many here knew/remember him; he had been living in San Diego for the last 25 years or more. A hell of a good guitarist. His nephew, Nick Gerlach, later changed his name to Jesse Lee Kincaid and co-fronted The Rising Sons with Taj Mahal. Anyhow, Fred always had lots of stories about the New York folk scene in the early 50's (said that Woody Guthrie used to stay with him & Tiny Ledbetter from time to time!)
It's too bad no one ever interviewed him about those days. He showed Lou some letters that Woody had written him in the early 50s! Wonder whatever happened to those! I think Fred had some kind of falling out with the People's Song folks way back when and it made him kind of bitter. But he was a really good twelve string player.

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: open mike
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 02:36 PM

obit here from san diego paper

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/signonsandiego/obituary.aspx?n=fred-gerlach&pid=138241160

here is hisw web site with pix from 80 years old
http://friendsloveyou.com/

he was born in 1925
http://www.tributes.com/show/Fred-Gerlach-87468525

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: beeliner
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 07:34 PM

His recording of "Meadowlands" on the 1963 anthology LP "The Twelve String Story" (Horizon WP-1626) caused me to go out and buy a 12-stringer.

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 07:56 AM

I remember seeing Fred at the Showboat Lounge, Washington DC in 1962 or 63.

In those days a few of us, having heard Leadbelly and a few other 12-string pickers, were trying to learn to play that very different sort of guitar. Fred was a revelation: a master of the instrument while the rest of us were still trying to get the big instrument to calm down and stop sounding like the pots and pans falling downstairs.

He was also a genial guy. I barely met him but always had a sincere regard and liking for him, and his music sure was exciting at a moment in time when folkies were barely aware of what could be done with a 12-string. He was a real innovator.

Bob

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 03:56 PM

Fred was one of if not the first guy that I saw playing a twelve string. He came over to Europe and appeared at our Ballads and Blues Club in London a couple or more times. Probably late 50's early 60's. Having only heard Leadbelly play 12 string up until then I was very impressed.

Another man done gone,

Hoot

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: Stringsinger
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 03:57 PM

I knew Fred. Guy Carawan and I stayed with him in New York just before departing for
our road trip with Jack Elliott. We three even slept in the same bed. He was a fixture
around Washington Square in the late Fifties. He was a nice man and generous.

Fred was enthusiastic and excited by music. He put out a recording...."Songs My Mother Never Taught Me".....something like that.

Not many people really knew how Leadbelly played. In trying to approximate that,
Fred developed his own style using an up strum in triplets.

Sorry to see him leave.

Frank

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: Mark Clark
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 03:50 PM

I'm sure sorry to hear this news. I remember listening to Fred's recordings in amazement and it must have been nearly fifty years ago now.

There doesn't seem to be much on the Web about Fred but this German site is pretty interesting.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: GUEST,Dick Weissman
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 08:21 PM

Fred was a great guy, and a wonderful guitar player. I went along with him when he recorded Gary davis preaching a hellfire and brimstone sermon at a storefront church in the South Bronx.

I hadn't seen him in years.

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: GUEST,Ray Fisher
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 12:39 PM

A new grandaughter was born in January of this year named Delilah. Made me think of Fred's tune. Samson & Delilah which I always loved.

Back in the '60's my wife Joyce and I used to play bridge with Fred and Barbara in Venice. I remember that Fred was building an airplane in his attic--how did he ever get it out?

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 09:44 PM

These are very good memories ... we all have them ... and we all NEED them. Keep 'em coming! bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: GUEST,Steffen Basho-Junghans
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 06:33 PM

During a travel in late '94 I was guest in his house. I met a generous man, a craftsman, a storyteller, an unbelieveable 12stringer, a great guy - I'll never forget: When he opened one of these cases and started to play that 12 string guitar, he had made himself, my hair were going like rockets up to the sky...
There is esp. one story, that seems to stand for that, what had happened to Fred:
He told me, when he went into a San Diego guitar shop in the '80s (I guess, I remember correctly), he found a guitar hanging at the wall, he built years ago, for $10.000. He asked the guy in the store about that guitar and got the answer "Oh man, that's an original Fred Gerlach..". He asked: why $10.000 and he got the information:" because, he's dead, man!" Fred's reaction: "Aaaaaahhh,...." and he left the store. He was a legend and not many people had the idea, that he was living not so far - and what I've seen, very much alive, full of energy and ideas. I guess, he's checking the bigger fleamarkets now, suddenly playing one of these cheap guitars and making people standing there with an open mouth, like in '94

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: GUEST,Mark Feedman
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 03:55 PM

I got the news about a week ago that another old friend and musician buddy passed away. Fred Gerlach was one of the best twelve string guitarists ever. I met him back in the early '50's when we sang in the JYF chorus conducted by Bob Decormier, Peter Paul and Mary's musical arranger and director. Mary sang in the chorus too, and so did all the members of the group called The Harvesters. Fred was deeply influenced by Leadbelly, who he met and played with. Fred was ten years older than me. During the war (WWII), he was point man for a tank battalion. Most of those guys died doing their job, advance scouts searching for anti-tank bombs. He was profoundly shaped by that experience. Well, Fred mastered Leadbelly's style note for note and lick for lick. He had a beautiful bass voice too.   We played together quite a lot while I still lived in New York. Back around '66 we met again in Venice, California, and he wasn't playing so much then, but he was making guitars. He built an airplane in his attic which he then used to fly down to Central America to search for and buy the wood he used for his guitars. When I left music and Venice for farming and eventually joined Peace Corps and left the States for 20 years, I lost track of him. He eventually moved to the Long Beach, Ca. area and I believe his son is now the maker of Gerlach guitars. They're probably really great guitars. Well, now, after all these years I bought me a set of harps again and and I'm going to get with Fred (on his CDs), and harp on with him once again, life and death permitting.

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Gerlach has died (Jan 2010)
From: GUEST,Mike M.
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 03:47 PM

In the fall of 1970 I was only 10 years old and was priveleged to meet Fred Gerlach at his home in Venice ,Ca. He was building a wood constructed airplane in his shop...the same model my father was building. Niether my father nor I knew what a folk music legend Fred was until my later years when I began listening to Leo Kottke and recognized similarities in their playing style. It was sad when I recently heard of Fred's passing. I'll never forget when he played his guitar for my dad and I.