Paul's Story
A few months after Paul LaRose’s way-too-early death, the University of Southern California music department held a memorial celebration. Jeff Floyd, Ron Bretz, Scott Satterlund, and Jim Patton, another long-time friend, flew from Detroit to LA to attend the memorial. Tom Cantalini was living in Pasadena at the time and joined the others.
The memorial consisted of Paul’s teachers, his fellow faculty members, and former students. Most of them said a few words about Paul and performed jazz and classical guitar music in his honor. During the intermission, Jeff spoke briefly to the master of ceremonies. When the memorial resumed, the mc announced a speaker who was not on the program: Paul’s friend from Detroit, Jeff Floyd. Jeff went up and leaned into the microphone. With a quiet voice, Jeff said, “There is something I have to reveal to you about Paul LaRose. Once upon a time, he played rock and roll………..in public………for money.”
Indeed, he did as a member of The Bouys. Paul grew up in Detroit and attended elementary school with Ron and Tom. Music was always in his blood. His father, Del, ran a small record company in Detroit. The company released records by vocal groups and solo singers aimed at teenagers. Paul used to encourage his classmates to listen to Make It or Break It on WJBK radio when one of his dad’s artist’s songs was up for the vote. Of course, they all voted Make It.
Paul also took singing lessons as a child. When his classmates at St. Monica found out, they would tell the teachers and inevitably Paul ended up in front of the class singing, “Has Anybody Seen My Girl.”
Paul and Ron became very good friends and Ron taught Paul many songs. Paul was constantly asking his father to buy him an electric guitar. Del responded that he would do so if Paul learned to play “Heart of My Heart,” his favorite song. The Bouys needed a rhythm guitarist, so Ron learned the song, taught it to Paul, and both performed it for Paul’s parents. True to his word, Del bought Paul a Fender Jaguar guitar and The Bouys had their new rhythm guitarist.
Paul started at Catholic Central with Ron, but graduated from Redford High School. There, he met Teresa, his first wife and the mother of his only child, Athena. Athena gave birth to Paul and Teresa’s granddaughter, Paige. Sadly, Athena passed away from cancer over 10 years ago. Paige is 27 years old and getting married on July 17th, 2021.
In 1970, Paul went to Eastern Michigan to study music. Since EMU only taught classical guitar, Paul transferred to the University of Miami in Florida. There he immersed himself in jazz guitar and eventually earned a master’s degree in jazz Guitar and Jazz Pedagogy.
Paul’s amazing career is detailed in the attached article and won’t be repeated here. The remaining Bouys are happy to have one more chance to celebrate and remember Paul.