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Skipp Pearson

Thales Thomas “Skipp” Pearson, South Carolina’s ambassador of Jazz Music, played professionally for the first time at the age of 14, leading his first commercial band at age 15.

Upon completion of his formal education, Pearson spent 4 years in the United States Air Force. An enlisted man, with a distinguished military career, Pearson also performed professionally throughout the United States and in Western Europe while faithfully serving his country.

In 1965, Pearson enrolled in Claflin College, now Claflin University, to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education. As career educator, Pearson has taught scores of public school children the importance, and benefits of having music in their lives. For 30 years, Pearson served as the general music teacher, as well as, band director in Bamberg and Clarendon School Districts, building the first band programs, that still survives today, to children in those areas. After many years of community service activities, Pearson officially retired from the South Carolina National Guard Band in November of 1997.

Over the years, Pearson amazing professional career has allowed him to share the stage with renowned musicians to include: John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, Ron Carter, Sam Cooke, Wycliffe Gordon, Barry Harris, Jimmy Heath, Art Pepper, Chris Potter, Daryl Sherman, Otis Redding, Patti Austin, Drink Smalls, Fred Wesley, Pete Neighbour, Dick Goodwin, Ron Westray, Wynton Marsalis, Chris Botti and many, many others.

Pearson numerous professional music credits include, and are not limited to, performances given in Western Europe and across the United States. In 1998, Pearson was inducted into the South Carolina Jazz Music Hall of Fame.

Throughout his career Pearson has been the subject of numerous South Carolina Public TV programs, local, regional and statewide news articles, and interviewed by syndicated radio and television talk shows hosts.

In 2002, 2004 and 2006 the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate presented Pearson with a commendation in honor of his extraordinary contributions to the world of jazz music and to congratulate him on an outstanding career and to name him South Carolina’s second ambassador of jazz music. Dizzy Gillespie was the first.

In 2003 Pearson, received the state of South Carolina’s highest artistic honor; the distinguished Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Award for individuals artistic excellence.

Beginning in 2016, one of Pearson's greatest accomplishment was to realize the work and program support his Foundation provided to UNESCO/United Nation.

On January 14, 2017, five months before his death, Pearson received the state of South Carolina's highest civilian honor, the distinguished Order of the Palmetto.

Awards

2010 Endorsing Artist Selmer Paris 2002 Official Ambassador of Jazz Music for the State of South Carolina 2003 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award for Life Achievement 2017 Order of the Palmetto (State of South Carolina's Highest Civilian Honor)

Gear

Mark 6


Tags

84
Under the Radar

Jazz Societies, Part I: The Skipp Pearson Jazz Legacy Foundation

Read "Jazz Societies, Part I: The Skipp Pearson Jazz Legacy Foundation" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Part 1 | Part 2 The oral history traditions of West African griots led the preservation and interpretation of music that would become the fundamentals of jazz. In previous Under the Radar columns we looked at institutions that further the cause of safeguarding the genre; university-level academic programs and jazz museums whose hands-on experiences, community outreach, teaching and sharing of history, are helping to keep jazz relevant. In the decentralized, smaller, and culturally diverse world of jazz societies, ...

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6

Crowdfunding Campaign

Skipp Pearson Jazz Foundation Appeals To Jazz Community For Financial Support

Skipp Pearson Jazz Foundation Appeals To Jazz Community For Financial Support

Source: Michael Ricci

The Skipp Pearson Jazz Foundation, a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), human services organization crafted to support senior musicians and vocalist in need is seeking monetary support to ensure the survival of all programming. More than any other age group, senior jazz players and performers suffered the on-going negative effect of COVID-19. During the height of the “global" pandemic the Foundation suffered the human loss of 91 artists. It may be of interest to know, the Foundation supported 57 artists through COVID-19. Beyond ...

57

Award / Grant

Skipp Pearson Becomes an Endorsing Artist for Conn-Selmer Paris

Skipp Pearson Becomes an Endorsing Artist for Conn-Selmer Paris

Source: Skipp Pearson

Columbia, SC—it is with great pleasure the Skipp Pearson Jazz Foundation announces that Skipp Pearson, the official ambassador of jazz music for the state of South Carolina, has joined the distinguished international endorsing artist roster of Conn-Selmer Inc/Selmer Paris Saxophones. The Conn-Selmer endorsing artist roster includes many of the finest professional players of brass and woodwind instruments in the world. In addition to Ambassador Pearson's current duties; the preservation of live jazz music presentations for the benefit of generations, the ...

158

Event

The Skipp Pearson Jazz Foundation Hosts National Jazz Appreciation Month in South Carolina

The Skipp Pearson Jazz Foundation Hosts National Jazz Appreciation Month in South Carolina

Source: Michael Ricci

Columbia, SC -- The Skipp Pearson Jazz Foundation in keeping with it stated mission is pleased to host Jazz Appreciation Month in South Carolina beginning Thursday, April 1 through Friday, April 30, 2010. Throughout the entire month activities and special event will be offered devoted to music education, centered on the theme: The Art of Bebop. There is literally something for everyone on the schedule, with the creme de la creme being a live jam session on Sunday, April 25 ...

"Saxophone Colossus", The State Newspaper, Sunday, February 12, 2006 by Otis R. Taylor, Jr., staff writer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-societies-part-i-the-skipp-pearson-jazz-legacy-foundation https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18538973

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Vintage Years with...

Seeing Eye Productions
2007

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