Beloved street musician's death leaves musical void on Palafox

Maurice Sorrell believed in love. Pensacola believed in Maurice.

The street musician would perform on Palafox almost daily, with an "I Still Believe in Love" sign in front of his guitar case.

The Pensacola street musician was a staple and welcome presence downtown in recent years, and was so beloved that when he was injured in a house fire in 2016, many in the community rallied behind him to provide help getting him back on his feet.

Sorrell died Monday in a local hospital after battling various and lengthy health issues. He was 61 years old.

On Wednesday, his friend Dan Girardin, placed a temporary memorial sign with pictures of Sorrell, and the words "Your friendship, voice & song will be missed by all" on a flower garden outside the Pen Air office building where the guitarist normally performed. Girardin, a designer with SMP Architecture, which is also located in the building complex, visited Sorrell in the hospital Thursday.

"He couldn't talk,'' Girardin said. "But he did open his eyes. He knew I was there."

Soon after Girardin placed the makeshift memorial, a few folks stopped stunned in their tracks.

"Maurice died?'' asked an incredulous John Wheeler, also a musician, as he walked down Palafox. "He was just always very upbeat, always smiling, always had a kind word for everyone and a generous soul. He was always a pleasure to see."

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Sorrell was for most purposes homeless. He told Girardin he was living with friends, but he had been without a proper home since being released from prison in 2013 after serving less than four years on a 2009 burglary conviction. But he dedicated himself to turning his life around and soon was singing well-known songs on Palafox to make money. He soon became a favorite, largely due to his friendly nature.

"I just want people to hear a little ditty and carry it around after lunch and maybe help relieve people's stress a bit,'' Sorrell told the News Journal after the fire. "Life is too short. I just want to make people happy."

On Dec. 1, 2016, a fire gutted the ramshackle home in which he was living. He was seriously burned on his hands and face and lost all of his possessions — including his guitar.

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Girardin started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for Sorrell. The goal was $1,500 but almost $10,000 was raised. An anonymous donor purchased him a new guitar and within days, he was back playing guitar, heavy medicated cream covering his face and hands.

The outpouring was overwhelming to Sorrell.

"I was already humbled,'' Sorrell said at the time. "But now, I'm even more humble and appreciative of life."

Girardin plans to purchase a small, permanent stone marker to place at the location at some point in the future. But on Wednesday, he just wanted something to let people know that Palafox's songbird was gone.

"He was such a staple here for the past four years and put so many smiles on people's faces,'' Girardin said. "He was just trying to give back to the community after (the fire). He just wanted to give back to all those who helped him."

Girardin said Sorrell had no family in the area and he is not sure about any internment plans.

"I just wanted people to know what happened,'' Girardin said. "He's going to be missed."