Odell Brown was a jazz organist who is best remembered for penning the Marvin Gaye hit, “Sexual Healing.” Brown was just 4 years old when he began playing the keyboards – mostly old classical pieces – until he found his groove with jazz. By the mid ’60s, he had settled in Chicago where he formed Odell Brown & the Organizers which was touted by no less than Billboard magazine as the Best New Group in 1966. He built a sizable following during the late ’60s and early ’70s for his live performances at which he played what could be classified as soul-jazz or jazz-funk. One such audience member was Gaye who couldn’t get one of his numbers out of his head, so he put some words to it, and “Sexual Healing” was born. Released in 1982, the single was a Top 5 hit around the world and has since been covered by the likes of Michael Bolton, Phish, Soul Asylum, and Sarah Connor. Sadly however, Brown was bottoming out at the time – he watched his song win a Grammy at a Skid Row bar in Los Angeles. He eventually got his life and career back on track and moved to the Minneapolis area where he continued to record and perform. Over the course of his career, Brown worked with Johnny Nash, Minnie Riperton, and Curtis Mayfield. Odell Brown was 70 when he passed away on May 3, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Melvin Sparks was a brilliant electric guitarist who made a name for himself on countless jazz and soul-jazz recordings as a session player and a band leader. Born into a musical family, Sparks picked up the guitar at just eleven years old. By the time he was in high school, he was playing behind Hank Ballard, and within a few years, he was in a touring band called the Upsetters who backed Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and Jackie Wilson. He went on to become a session player for Blue Note and Prestige, playing on records by the likes of Lou Donaldson, Jimmy McGriff, and Hank Crawford. In the 90s, he played with Soulive and Galactic during the acid jazz revival. Melvin Sparks was 64 when he passed away on March 13, 2011. It has been reported that diabetes and high blood pressure was to blame.
Donny Hathaway was a soul singer and musician who is best remembered for his duets with former college classmate, Roberta Flack. The two recorded a series of hits throughout the ’70s. That catalog includes “The Closer I Get to You,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “Where is the Love” which scored the pair a #1 single as well as a Grammy in 1973. Hathaway released several hit albums of his own as well. He began his career as a studio musician and songwriter in Chicago where he collaborated with the likes of Aretha Franklin and the Staple Singers. He soon became the house producer for Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom Records. As a songwriter, one of Hathaway’s best known compositions is “This Christmas,” a song he co-wrote and has since become a holiday standard, having been recorded by Diana Ross, *NSYNC, Gloria Estefan, and many more. It has been reported that Hathaway suffered from serious depression and likely, paranoid schizophrenia which lead to numerous hospital stays and heavy medication. On January 13, 1979, Donny Hathaway was found dead on the sidewalk 15 floors beneath his New York City hotel room. There was no sign of foul play so his death was ruled a suicide.
Odell Brown was a jazz organist who is best remembered for penning the Marvin Gaye hit, “Sexual Healing.” Brown was just 4 years old when he began playing the keyboards – mostly old classical pieces – until he found his groove with jazz. By the mid ’60s, he had settled in Chicago where he formed Odell Brown & the Organizers which was touted by no less than Billboard magazine as the Best New Group in 1966. He built a sizable following during the late ’60s and early ’70s for his live performances at which he played what could be classified as soul-jazz or jazz-funk. One such audience member was Gaye who couldn’t get one of his numbers out of his head, so he put some words to it, and “Sexual Healing” was born. Released in 1982, the single was a Top 5 hit around the world and has since been covered by the likes of Michael Bolton, Phish, Soul Asylum, and Sarah Connor. Sadly however, Brown was bottoming out at the time – he watched his song win a Grammy at a Skid Row bar in Los Angeles. He eventually got his life and career back on track and moved to the Minneapolis area where he continued to record and perform. Over the course of his career, Brown worked with Johnny Nash, Minnie Riperton, and Curtis Mayfield. Odell Brown was 70 when he passed away on May 3, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Melvin Sparks was a brilliant electric guitarist who made a name for himself on countless jazz and soul-jazz recordings as a session player and a band leader. Born into a musical family, Sparks picked up the guitar at just eleven years old. By the time he was in high school, he was playing behind 
Donny Hathaway was a soul singer and musician who is best remembered for his duets with former college classmate, Roberta Flack. The two recorded a series of hits throughout the ’70s. That catalog includes “The Closer I Get to You,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “Where is the Love” which scored the pair a #1 single as well as a Grammy in 1973. Hathaway released several hit albums of his own as well. He began his career as a studio musician and songwriter in Chicago where he collaborated with the likes of Aretha Franklin and the Staple Singers. He soon became the house producer for 
