Noted violinist Joseph J. Kennedy Jr., the patriarch of jazz in Richmond who enjoyed international acclaim as a jazz performer, composer and educator, died Saturday in Richmond. He was 80.
Mr. Kennedy, one of the most prominent names among the world's jazz violinists, was director of jazz studies at Virginia Tech from 1984 until his retirement in 1995. He was one of the first black members of the Richmond Symphony.
In 2001, he was honored with the Living Legacy Jazz Award from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. He was still performing and recording as recently as last summer.
He traveled the world to appear at many of the top jazz festivals, including the Concord Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, the New York Kool Jazz Festival, the Grande Parade du Jazz in Nice, France, and the Birmingham, England, International Jazz Festival.
He recorded and performed with childhood friend Ahmad Jamal, for whom he was also a string arranger. He also worked with mentor and relative Benny Carter, longtime friend Billy Taylor, John Lewis and the Heath Brothers - as well as his own quartets. His work and career were included in the 1980s BBC documentary, “Fiddler's Three."
Mr. Kennedy studied at Carnegie Mellon University and earned a degree from what is now Virginia State University. He also held a master's in music education from Duquesne University in his native Pittsburgh.
A longtime educator for the Richmond school system, Mr. Kennedy held the titles of instrumental music specialist, supervisor of music and supervisor of secondary arts and humanities in his more than 30 years with the school system.
While on the African-American Studies faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University, he developed a course on the history of African-American music.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma Marion “Jennifer" Copeland Kennedy; a son, Joseph J. Kennedy III; a daughter, Victoria L. Kennedy; and a grandson.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
