Tribute planned Saturday for Gerry McGee

A tribute to legendary guitarist Gerry McGee is planned from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church on Park Avenue in Eunice.
McGee, who grew up in Eunice, died while on a solo tour in Japan on Oct. 12. He was 81 years old.
His brother, Billy, said the tribute will include photos and other memorabilia from McGee’s storied career.
Billy McGee said his older brother quit high school and joined the Army in 1953.
After serving three years, Gerry McGee came home and started playing country music in Shreveport. He next went to Georgia where he met Jerry Reed, who would become a famous country musician and actor.
Gerry McGee came back to Shreveport, played bass in band that went to Los Angeles in the early 1960s and during a gig at a lounge met iconic pop star Ricky Nelson.
Billy McGee said his brother did some recordings with Nelson, Bobby Darin, Nancy Sinatra, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, and Glen Campbell.
His brother also would perform with Eric Clapton, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Monkees and The Ventures.
Billy McGee said his brother met Clapton at a party in Los Angeles.
“You know what Eric told him? ‘You are my idol.’ How about that?” Bill McGee said.
In 1977 or 1978, his brother was performing with Kristofferson at a concert in Baton Rouge when Kristofferson invited their father, famous Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee, their father on stage along with Sadie Courville.
What followed was about 45 minutes of people dancing in the aisles, Billy McGee said.
According to information on The Ventures’ website after Gerry McGee’s death, “Gerry’s career was very wide-ranging and his skill and musicianship was appreciated by many world-famous musicians. He was on the early Monkees’ recordings (before the group members became musicians themselves), he worked with Elvis, Delaney and Bonnie, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Kris Kristofferson, John Fogerty and many others. He received accolades from members of The Beatles to Liberace. He appeared in movies too – including “A Star in Born” with Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand.”
Despite his fame, Billy McGee said his brother was a quiet man who avoided the pitfalls of a Hollywood lifestyle.
His sidekick in life was playing his guitar and he was known for his famous licks, Billy McGee said.