Linda Cohen, 61, guitarist, composer, committed teacher

Linda Cohen, 61, of Center City, a noted Philadelphia guitarist, composer and teacher whose music ranged from fancy finger-picking folk to classical to blues, died of lung cancer Friday at her home in Center City.

In the spring, she was dreaming of making another album. By fall, Ms. Cohen, who had smoked since she was a teen, was diagnosed with lung cancer that took her life within a few months.

Ms. Cohen began playing drums in elementary school in East Oak Lane before performing in the Olney High School band.

"I bought her a set of used drums like [Gene] Krupa's from a shop on South Street," said her father, Harry Cohen. "Linda was a dainty, perfect little girl with dark hair, bangs and brown eyes. She never seemed to age."

Ms. Cohen was in a polka band at 16, then traded in her drums for a Martin guitar and never looked back. She was mostly self-taught, but did study for a while under classical guitarist Peter Colona. She studied for few semesters at Temple University before dropping out.

She supported herself by performing, composing and teaching guitar for more than 35 years out of the Classical Guitar Store on Sansom Street.

"Linda gauged her level of success by her teaching," said music critic A.D. Amorosi. "She was a music legend, but that didn't mean anything until I heard her perform. She bowled me over. She was an innovator and she really wasn't aware of it."

Henri David, owner of Halloween jewelry store at 13th and Pine Streets, knew Ms. Cohen since they were 12.

"I took her to a carnival on our first date. I was dying to be in her company and was a nervous wreck," David said. "Our friendship stuck. When we were 16, we dressed like hippies and sneaked into a Rittenhouse coffee shop where she played the guitar, and I played the bongo drums. People threw pennies at us."

In the late 1960s, at the Second Fret on Sansom Street, Ms. Cohen opened for Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Joni Mitchell, John Fahey and Dave Van Ronk, whose blues-inspired guitar playing influenced her style.

Over the years, Ms. Cohen's music graced audiences at the Academy of Music, the Tin Angel, the Electric Factory, and, among other venues, the Bitter End in New York City.

Ms. Cohen's early albums, Leda (1972) and Lake of Light (1973), were critically acclaimed and "presaged by a full decade the fusion of classical, folk, blues and electronic music now tagged 'new age,' " an Inquirer critic wrote in 1990. Her album, Angel Alley, followed in 1982.

"Linda was proud that artist Milton Glaser designed her album covers," said lifelong friend and manager David Carroll. Under Carroll's management, Ms. Cohen joined harpsichordist Michael Kac on their 1999 album Naked Under the Moon.

"Last year, Linda said she had written new music for an album she hoped would resuscitate her career," Carroll said. "Making albums was not the most important thing to her - teaching was. She was a touchstone for many guitar students, including my son. He often called her at midnight or later just to talk about life."

Ms. Cohen loved her Center City home, where she lived for 39 years. She and her husband of 10 years, Jeff Chadrow, decorated it with eclectic antiques, memorabilia and artwork.

"Linda lived for the moment," said longtime friend Russell Friedman. "Anyone in her orbit became her friend."

In addition to her father, Ms. Cohen is survived by her mother, Selma Cohen; a sister, Beth Rose; and a niece. She is also survived by Chadrow, her former husband.

A music and video memorial will be held at 9 p.m. Feb. 16 at National Mechanics, 22 S. Third St. Donations may be sent to MusiCares East Region, 11 West 42d St., 27th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10036. (www.grammy.com/musicares)