Obituary News

Buena Vista singer Ibrahim Ferrer dead at 78

Source: All About Jazz
August 8, 2005

HAVANA - Ibrahim Ferrer, the mild-mannered singer of the Buena Vista Social Club group that took him from shining shoes to world fame late in life, died on Saturday in Havana, his manager said. He was 78.

The Grammy winner known for his trademark cap and gray mustache died of multiple organ failure after returning ill on Wednesday from a European tour, manager Daniel Florestan said.

“He was taken to hospital when he got back and his condition worsened. He ...

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Legendary Jazz Photographer Paul Hoeffler Passed Away

Source: All About Jazz
August 8, 2005

By Len Dobbin Toronto based Hoeffler was cherished by musicians and photographers alike, capturing the definitive personalities of Jazz with uncompromising style and artistry. He approached his work like the musicians he revered, blending rigorous discipline with inspired improvisation and sensitivity. As a young photographer in Rochester New York, Hoeffler put himself in the right place at the right time. He won the trust and friendship of his subjects, recognizing the richness of Jazz at a seminal and fleeting moment. ...

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Lucky Thompson, Jazz Saxophonist, Is Dead at 81

Source: All About Jazz
August 5, 2005

Lucky Thompson, a legendary tenor and soprano saxophonist who took his place among the elite improvisers of jazz from the 1940's to the 1960's and then quit music, roamed the country and ended up homeless or hospitalized for more than a decade, died on Saturday in Seattle. He was 81. His death was confirmed by his son, Daryl Thompson; the cause was not announced. Mr. Thompson was living in an assisted-care facility at the Washington Center for Comprehensive Rehabilitation in ...

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Cabaret singer Hildegarde dead at 99

Source: All About Jazz
August 4, 2005

NEW YORK (AP) -- Hildegarde, the “incomparable” cabaret singer whose career spanned almost seven decades, has died. She was 99. The performer, who was credited with starting the single-name vogue among entertainers, died Friday at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Hospital, said Don Dellair, her longtime friend and manager. Born Hildegarde Loretta Sell in Adell, Wisconsin, she was known for 70 years simply as “The Incomparable Hildegarde,” a title bestowed on her by columnist Walter Winchell. During the peak of her popularity ...

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Blues king Little Milton dead at 70

Source: All About Jazz
August 4, 2005

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- “Little" Milton Campbell, who sang the blues and performed with some of the country's top performers, died Thursday of complications of a stroke.

Campbell, 70, died about 8:50 a.m. at Delta Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn. A statement from the family said the musician died from a cerebral hemorrhage as a result of a stroke Campbell suffered on July 27.

Funeral services were pending. Campbell is survived by his wife, Patricia, and three children.

Greg Preston, a ...

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Cabaret singer Hildegarde dead at 99

Source: All About Jazz
August 4, 2005

NEW YORK (AP) -- Hildegarde, the “incomparable" cabaret singer whose career spanned almost seven decades, has died. She was 99.

The performer, who was credited with starting the single-name vogue among entertainers, died Friday at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Hospital, said Don Dellair, her longtime friend and manager.

Born Hildegarde Loretta Sell in Adell, Wisconsin, she was known for 70 years simply as “The Incomparable Hildegarde," a title bestowed on her by columnist Walter Winchell.

During the peak of her popularity ...

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Harlem Comes Alive For Jazz Organist Bernie Thompson's Memorial Service

Source: All About Jazz
August 2, 2005

Jazz Organist Bernie Thompson was born on March 9th, 1933 and died on July 18th, 2005. His body was cremated and a memorial service was held in Harlem at the Trans Figuration Lutheran Church located at 74 West 126th Street in Harlem, New York. The program was coordinated by Sando O' quenda (flutist) who worked with Bernie many times on gigs. Many top jazz artists and vocalists turned out to pay tribute to this great organist and personality Bernie Thompson. ...

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Music journalist Al Aronowitz dead at 77

Source: All About Jazz
August 2, 2005

Al Aronowitz, a pioneer of rock journalism who introduced Bob Dylan to the Beatles, died Monday at 77, his son said.

Aronowitz, who was born in Bordentown, N.J., grew up in Linden and Roselle and lived his last years in Elizabeth, died of cancer at Trinitas Hospital in Elizabeth, said his son, Joel Roi Aronowitz.

Al Aronowitz became a journalist after studying at Rutgers University in the mid-1950s. It was at the New York Post in 1959 that he wrote ...

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