Guitar Gable (Gabriel Perrodin) — Louisiana swamp blues and swamp pop artist

Guitar Gable (Gabriel Perrodin, 1937–2017) was a Louisiana guitarist, singer and songwriter associated with swamp blues and swamp pop. He recorded the original "This Should Go On Forever" and was active in the 1950s–60s.

Guitar Gable was the professional name of Gabriel Perrodin (August 17, 1937 – January 28, 2017), an American musician from southern Louisiana who became identified with the region's swamp blues and swamp pop traditions. He is best known for recording the original version of "This Should Go On Forever," a song that helped draw wider attention to Louisiana's distinctive blend of rhythm-and-blues, country, Creole and Cajun influences. His recordings and performances in the late 1950s and early 1960s placed him among the artists who defined a local danceable R&B sound.

Early life and career

Born Gabriel Perrodin, he came of age in an environment where musical styles intermingled across communities. He began performing in clubs and on regional radio shows, where small studios and independent labels often recorded local talents for distribution on jukeboxes and local stations. These circuits were essential to many Louisiana artists, providing steady work and helping regional styles circulate beyond their immediate neighborhoods. For broader context on the region and its music communities, see regional overviews.

Musical style

Gable's music combined electric guitar with steady backbeats, warm vocal delivery and arrangements that favored melody and danceability. The term swamp blues or swamp pop is commonly used to describe this fusion: it retains blues and R&B roots while absorbing country phrasing and the melodic sensibilities associated with Creole and Cajun popular music. His guitar playing tended toward economical, expressive lines that supported songs rather than elaborate soloing, a hallmark of many regional players who prioritized groove and vocal foregrounding. For introductory material on these genres, consult genre histories.

Recordings and notable works

Gable's best-known recording is the original rendition of "This Should Go On Forever," which later reached broader audiences through covers and reissues. He issued a number of singles that found popularity on local radio and jukeboxes; like many regional artists of the era, his work circulated primarily through independent presses and smaller distributors rather than major-label channels. His recordings today are often cited in compilations and retrospectives that document mid-20th-century Louisiana popular music. Representative discographies and archival listings are available in specialized collections and regional discographies.

Collaborations and performance life

Throughout his active years Gable played with local rhythm sections, horn players and singers drawn from the same musical communities. He performed in dance halls, clubs and on radio programs that sustained the live music economy of the Gulf Coast. Those circuits helped nurture numerous musicians who blended African American R&B with influences from nearby Creole and Cajun cultures, producing the hybrid sounds associated with southern Louisiana in the 1950s and 1960s.

Death and legacy

Gable died in hospital in Opelousas, Louisiana, on January 28, 2017, at age 79. His work is remembered by collectors, local historians and fans of roots music as a clear example of how regional scenes contributed to the larger story of American popular music. While he did not achieve sustained national stardom, his recordings continue to appear on compilations that survey swamp blues and swamp pop, and they remain points of reference for musicians and scholars exploring Gulf Coast traditions. Contemporary overviews and obituary notices are accessible through local resources such as regional obituaries.