Ferg's Benefit Honors Local Guitar Hero

ST. PETERSBURG – Matt LaPorte was only 40 when he passed away in his sleep on April 20, 2011. A wave of shock and sorrow overcame his family, friends and fans worldwide.

A cause of death was never determined, and the obituary says his family suspected that sleep apnea was to blame.

Ferg's Sports Bar and Grill Manager Jim Burke knew LaPorte well. Along with musician and friend, Jerry Outlaw, he began planning a celebration of his life, shortly after LaPorte's passing.

That celebration is Saturday night. Of course, it will be a musical one, with many of his talented friends planning to play their hearts out at the tribute.

Some of the acts include The Florida Metal All Stars and Savatage, not to mention Jon Oliva himself. Local musicians like John Spinelli, Justin Walker and Jason Jennings will also be on hand to lend their talent.

The night will be filled with LaPorte's passion and gift: music. Laporte was known on an international level for his guitar shredding skills. He was a vital piece of the band Jon Oliva's Pain when he died.

"There will be a lot of really, really great musicians who were close, in different ways, to Matt," Outlaw explained. "Whether they had been friends or fellow teachers or played in bands with him."

To close out the show, Jerry Outlaw and Friends will be giving the stage an unprecedented experience. "We are going to play a bunch of crazy, insane music that me and Matt used to sit around and listen to and laugh, because we loved it so much," Outlaw said warmly.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and a minimum $10 donation is expected at the door, which will be going directly into the Matt LaPorte Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will then be awarded to a talented music student at St. Petersburg College who needs help with tuition.

"This event is about seeing our friend off until we can see him again," Outlaw said.