Jeff Golub, 59, Renowned Guitarist
“There’s only two kinds of music,” Jeff Golub reportedly said, “the kind that’s from the heart and the kind that’s not.” That observation was not just an accurate assessment of music, about which the guitarist was so passionate, it served as a blueprint for his life.
Mr. Golub, who lived in New York and Water Mill, recorded and toured worldwide with artists including Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Vanessa Williams, and Billy Squier. A musician whose work spanned multiple musical genres, from jazz to blues to rock ’n’ roll, he was also a prolific solo artist, releasing many albums as a bandleader, three of them with the Avenue Blue Band.
Mr. Golub, who was 59, died at home in New York on New Year’s Day, three years after he suddenly lost his eyesight and shortly after a diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder. The illness had forced his retirement in the fall of 2013.
“He was like a rock star, but you wouldn’t know it,” said Peter (Bosco) Michne, a guitarist who lives in Southampton. Mr. Michne, who is also a teacher, gave lessons to one of Mr. Golub’s sons for a few years. “You wouldn’t think he was a guy that had toured around the world. He was like any of my students’ dads — a really good dad, really happy. He always greeted me with a big smile and was always very, very nice.”
Jeff Golub was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1955 to Peter and Pearl Golub. When he was 8, his father took him to a Grand Ole Opry concert there, and a performance by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs inspired him to take up the guitar. He studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, leaving after a year for individual instruction.
Through Bobby Chouinard, a drummer whom he met while performing in Boston, he was hired as a member of Mr. Squier’s band. Mr. Golub went on to record seven albums and participated in three world tours with the artist. He later worked with Ms. Turner and Ms. Williams as well as with Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, John Waite, Gato Barbieri, and Bill Evans, among others.
In 1988, Mr. Golub released the album “Unspoken Words.” The same year, he auditioned for Mr. Stewart, who reportedly stopped him minutes into a performance of the song “Maggie May” to say, “You’re hired, let’s go to the pub.” Mr. Golub played with the singer for a decade while continuing to record and perform his own music. More collaboration included work with Sonny Landreth, Robben Ford, Marc Cohn, and Kirk Whalum.
Even after losing his sight, Mr. Golub continued to record and tour, releasing the album “Train Keeps a Rolling” in 2013. “He would go to the city by himself on the train!” Mr. Michne said. “I don’t know what the word for that is.”
Mr. Golub is survived by his wife, Audrey Stafford Golub, whom he married in 1997, and two sons, Chris and Matthew. His mother, Pearl Golub of Copley, Ohio, also survives, as do a brother, Pete Golub of Copley, and a sister, Patti Hippler of Massillon, Ohio. He leaves 10 nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. today at the Society for Ethical Culture in New York. A previously scheduled benefit concert featuring several of the artists with whom he collaborated will serve as a tribute to Mr. Golub and fund-raiser for his family. It will be held on Jan. 21 at the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in New York.
A fund has been established to help with educational and other specified expenses for Mr. Golub’s sons. Contributions can be made at jeffgolub.com. The family has also suggested donations to the Foundation for PSP, CBD, and Related Brain Diseases at curepsp.org.