Died On This Date (January 25, 2010) Jane Jarvis / Former Organist at Shea Stadium
themusicsover Jane Jarvis
October 31, 1915 – January 25, 2010
Jane Jarvis was a jazz pianist who is perhaps best remembered as a longtime organist at New York’s Shea Stadium. Jarvis began playing the piano as a child, and even in those early years, she was recognized for her advanced talents. Jarvis began studying under college professors while still a child. One of her early professional jobs was as the staff pianist at a local Milwaukee television station. During the mid-50s, Jarvis was hired by the Milwaukee Braves to play between innings at their home games. In the early ’60s, Jarvis moved to New York City where she went to work for Muzak, the company that provided background music for retail stores. There, she worked as the staff composer and arranger. In 1964, the New York Mets hired Jarvis to play the organ at their home games. She became a local celebrity for her work at the stadium….particular for her rendition of “Meet the Mets.” She retired from the Mets in 1979, but stayed active throughout the New York jazz scene for many years. Jane Jarvis was 94 when she passed away on January 25, 2010.
Terry Kath was the founding lead guitarist for the massively popular jazz/rock fusion band, Chicago. Formed while most of the members were in college, the group went on to sell over 120 million albums while charting the most singles of any act during the ’70s. What separated Chicago from other rock groups of the era was their use of a horn section as a lead instrument. And it could only take a guitarist as talented as Kath to shine through. He was such a guitar wizard, that many of his parts, some of which are instantly recognizable, were recorded in one take. Kath can also be heard singing lead on several Chicago songs, most notably, “Colour My World” and “Make Me Smile.” On January 23, 1978, Kath was with one of the crew members after a party. While at the roadie’s home, Kath grabbed an unloaded pistol and jokingly put it to his head and fired several empty shots. He then grabbed a second pistol, thinking it was also unloaded, and fired a bullet into his head, killing him instantly. He was 31 years old.