Jazz

Died On This Date (May 9, 2010) Lena Horne / Beloved Jazz Singer & Actress

Lena Horne
June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010

Lena Horne was a popular and influential jazz vocalist and actress who broke many color barriers over a career that spanned nearly seven decades, and her 1943 recording of “Stormy Weather” is arguably the most recognized song of its era.  Horne was not only a multi-Grammy award-winning singer, she was also an award-winning star of stage, screen and television.  She appeared in popular Broadway shows as well as numerous MGM musicals during their golden years.  Horne was also a familiar face on television during most of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, either as a guest or star of her own specials.  During the ’60s, Horne was one of the most visible celebrities involved with the Civil Rights movement.  She remained professionally active well into the 2000s.  Lena Horne was 92 when she passed away on May 9, 2010.

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Died On This Date (May 8, 2010) Francisco Aguabella / Popular Afro-Cuban Percussionist

Francisco Aguabella
October 10, 1925 – May 8, 2010

Francisco Aguabella was a revered Afro-Cuban, jazz and Salsa percussionist who was also a sacred drummer of the Santeria religion.  Born and raised in Cuba, Aguabella picked up his first instrument at 12, and ultimately left home in his mid-20s to pursue his music career. He performed all over the world, appeared in the Shelley Winters film, Mambo, and played at the White House.    Over the course of his career, Aguabella performed with  Frank Sinatra, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana, Cal Tjader, and the Doors to name a few.  In 1992, he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship from the Endowment for the Arts.  Francisco Aguabella was 84 when he died of cancer on May 8, 2010.

Thanks to NAMM Historian, Dan Del Fiorentino for the assist.

Died On This Date (April 30, 2010) Gil Ellman / Big Band Musician & Instrument Retailer

Gil Ellman
August 28, 1925 – April 30, 2010

Gil Ellman was a big band musician and longtime Chicago area musical instrument  merchant.  Ellman began his life of music as a youngster when he learned to play the saxophone, clarinet and flute.  His skills developed so well, that when he hit high school, he became its concert master.  Shortly after graduating, and at just 18 years of age, Ellman opened his own shop where he repaired radios and such.  He later became an instrument tech, working with the likes of Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey when they came through Chicago.  Ellman played in the Coast Guard Band during WWII and continued to play in local groups well beyond that.  Over the years, he shared the stage with such legends as Patti Page, Milton Berle and Ronald Reagan.  In 1958, he opened Ellman’s Music Store  which remained an area institution up until the time of his passing.  Gil Ellman was 84 when he died in his home on April 30, 2010.

On May 7, 2007, Ellman was interviewed as part of the National Association of Music Merchants’ Oral History program.  Click here to view a 2 minute segment from his interview.

Thanks to NAMM Historian, Dan Del Fiorentino for the assist.



Died On This Date (April 29, 2009) Marl Young / L.A. Jazz Musician & Activist

Marl Young
January 29, 1917 – April 29, 2009

marlMarl Young was a pianist and arranger who moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1947 and became instrumental in bringing the white and black music unions together in the early ’50s.  In 1957, Young became the first African-American selected to the board of directors of Local 47.  He stayed active on the board until 2008.  In 1962, Desi Arnaz invited Young to play piano as part of the live audience warm-up band for “The Lucy Show.”  Eight years later, he was the show’s music director, becoming the first black music director of a major television show.  Marl Young passed away in a medical rehabilitation center where he was battling prostate cancer. Cause of death was not immediately released.

Died On This Date (April 27, 1999) Al Hirt / Jazz Icon

Al Hirt
November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999

Al Hirt was given his first trumpet at six and by sixteen, he and friend Pete Fountain were already playing professionally around New Orleans.  After a tour of duty as a bugler in WWII, went to work in various swing bands, backing the likes of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey.  He settled back in New Orleans by the ’50s, becoming an integral part of the city and its musical heritage.  Over the next two decades, more than twenty of his  albums appeared on the Billboard pop charts.  One of Hirt’s other loves was football, and in 1967, he became a minority owner of the New Orleans Saints.  Al Hirt died at 76 of liver failure after spending a year in a wheelchair due to edema in his leg.

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Al Hirt