Jeff LaBar, lead guitarist of the legendary band Cinderella, has passed away at the age of 58. His son, Sebastian, was the first to break the news. With a collage of his father and following statement.
‘So I just got the call…Jeff LaBar, my father, my hero, my idol, passed away today, I’m Currently at a loss for words. I love you pop! If you could, please share pictures or video of all the fun times we all had with my dad. It would be greatly appreciated.’ Wrote Sebastian. There has been no autopsy or reporting of the cause of death.
LaBar joined Cinderella in 1985, right before the ‘Night Songs’ era of the band. And he remained their lead guitarist for the remainder of Cinderella’s existence. He plays on all four, major studio recordings. As well as a skew of live recordings. Unfortunately, Cinderella disbanded around 2012. The very last show they played together was a one off in 2014. Giving leader Tom Keifer openings to pursue a solo career. And now it’s clear that a true reunion will never happen. LaBar blamed himself, his troubles with alcohol for the discontinuance of the band. His famed, basically alcohol overdose, on the Monsters of Rock Cruise is likely what put the nail in the coffin. We can only speculate that the alcohol caught up with LaBar. Although, there’s still no confirmation for that.
I was fortunate enough to see Cinderella in San Antonio in 2007. They co-headlined a tour with Poison. And they destroyed it. All live, no noticeable mistakes. And a classic, blues based, hard rock sound that put them apart from all their peers. The stage show was great too. Hell of a band. Hell of a player. Rest in Rock Jeff LaBar.
