Obituary News

Singer-Songwriter Billy Preston Dead at 59

Source: All About Jazz
June 6, 2006

Billy Preston, the exuberant keyboardist who landed dream gigs with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and enjoyed his own series of hit singles, including “Outta Space" and “Nothing From Nothing," died Tuesday at 59. Preston's longtime manager, Joyce Moore, said Preston had been in a coma since November in a care facility and was taken to a hospital in Scottsdale Saturday after his condition deteriorated. “He had a very, very beautiful last few hours and a really beautiful passing," ...

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Ken Crawford, 80, Hosted "Rhythm Sweet and Hot"

Source: All About Jazz
May 19, 2006

By Adrian McCoy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Every Saturday night for 25 years, the echoes of a bygone era in music returned to the airwaves with WDUQ-FM's “Rhythm Sweet and Hot." Ken Crawford of Mt. Lebanon, who was one of the forces behind the long-running radio program, died Friday after a long battle with kidney ailments and other illnesses. He was 80. A Pittsburgh native who grew up in Regent Square and Crafton, his love of music started at an early age: ...

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John Hicks: Prolific Pianist

Source: All About Jazz
May 16, 2006

Born: December 21, 1942 in Atlanta, GA Died: May 10, 2006 in New York, NY

By Todd S. Jenkins

John Hicks, one of the most versatile and prolific jazz pianists of the past four decades, died of internal bleeding in New York City on May 10, 2006. He was sixty-four years of age.

Born in Atlanta on December 21, 1942, Hicks was raised in Los Angeles where he absorbed Fats Waller, bebop and church music in the 1950s, ...

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Pianist John Hicks Dies

Source: All About Jazz
May 12, 2006

John Hicks, a bop-based pianist who was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the Woody Herman Big Band and the Betty Carter Trio during the 1960s, in addition to performing with Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, Etta Jones and innumerable others, died yesterday morning after being hospitalized with internal bleeding on May 9. He was 65.

Born December 21, 1941 in Atlanta, GA, Hicks studied music at Missouri's Lincoln University, the Berklee College of Music and, surprisingly, on the road ...

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William P. Gottlieb, Jazz Photographer

Source: All About Jazz
April 24, 2006

Born: Feb. 28, 1917 Died: Apr. 23, 2006

Married Delia Potofsky in 1939 Beloved by: wife Delia; children Barbara, Steven, Richard, Edward & spouses Teri & Jacki; sister-in-law Jacqueline; grandchildren Leah, Sara, Brian, Jason,Celia,& Noah; and great grandchildren Evan, Lily, & Enzo. Memorial Service will be held on Friday, April 28th at 11:00 at Riverside-Nassau North Chapels, 55 North Station Plaza, Great Neck, NY. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: ...

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Don Alias, 66, Percussionist and Sideman

Source: All About Jazz
April 5, 2006

Don Alias, 66, Percussionist and Sideman, Is Dead By NATE CHINEN NY Times Published: April 5, 2006

Don Alias, a percussionist who had a long career as a sought-after sideman, working with an illustrious array of artists in jazz and pop including Nina Simone, Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell, died on March 28 at his home in Manhattan. He was 66. His death was announced by Melanie Futorian, his companion, who said the cause ...

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Len Hendry, 78, Pittsburgh Radio Personality

Source: All About Jazz
April 5, 2006

Obituary: Leonard R. Hendry / Hosted swing music program on WDUQ

June 23, 1927 - March 31, 2006

Sunday, April 02, 2006

By Adrian McCoy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Saturday nights won't be the same for area swing music fans who tuned in Len Hendry's “Let's Dance" on WDUQ-FM. His weekly program was a habit for nostalgic listeners -- young and old -- who enjoyed traveling back in time to the heyday of big band dance music.

Mr. Hendry, who had cancer, ...

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Jackie McLean: Renowned Alto Saxophonist and Educator

Source: All About Jazz
April 2, 2006

By Todd S. Jenkins

Born: May 17, 1932 in Harlem, NY Died: March 31, 2006 in Hartford, CT

Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, who began his stellar career while in his teens and became one of America's foremost jazz educators, died on Friday, March 31, 2006. He was 73 years old.

John Lenwood “Jackie" McLean, Jr. was born in Harlem on May 17, 1932. His father, John McLean, Sr., was a guitarist who played with Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. Jackie's ...

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