Larry A. Miller, 81, of Rock Island, died Feb. 4 at Unity point Trinity Hospital, Rock Island, where he was being treated for kidney failure.
Over seven decades, the guitarist performed countless gigs while living in the Quad-Cities, Memphis and Portland, Ore., and on the road with touring bands.
Larry will be remembered by friends with songs and stories 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13 at First Lutheran Church, 1600 20th St., Rock Island.
Larry was born in 1944 to Leroy Edwin Miller and Opal Henrietta (Scrivener) Miller.
His parents bought his first guitar, and encouraged playing that earned him gigs before graduating Moline High School.
After that, music became Larry's priority, accompanying bands at the Yankee Clipper, Rusty Nail, Sweetwater and countless other QC clubs.
He toured with other acts, including the Larry Raspberry revue out of Memphis, and later as a technician for the Holy Modal Rounders in Portland.
With his Vox tube amp and Fender Stratocaster, Larry provided rhythm and lead parts for blues, rock, and country bands. Some longtime fans knew him as, "The Hawk."
He took easily to most stringed instruments, including Dobro, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele, to share songs at Theo's Java House, River Music Experience, and entertain on Bix 7 and Quad City Marathon routes.
In the past few years, he joined performers onstage at Gypsy Highway and elsewhere, and helped Joy Avenue Media production crews for shows at Rock Island Schwiebert Riverfront Park, and Bent River Brewing.
For more than 30 years, he offered acoustic accompaniment at the St. Joseph Evening Meal Coffeehouse, a monthly benefit launched by members of the former Rock Island Catholic Church that raised thousands of dollars for meal sites.
At the coffeehouse, Larry brought songs from John Prine, John Hiatt, and Jesse Winchester's Rhythm Aces, all of whom he'd photographed at shows in Memphis, Portland and the Quad Cities.
Listen for them among the songs shared at his remembrance with coffeehouse friends 6:30 p.m., Feb. 13, in the historic parish house at First Lutheran Church, Rock Island.
Larry was a daily newspaper subscriber to the day of his death, and even published an obituary memorial for his black cat, Kitty. He filled his Broadway District apartment with a lifetime of his film photographs, a vast movie DVD collection culled from pawn shops, and a library of books and articles on the JFK assassination.
Larry used his bicycle as main transportation throughout town well into his 70s.