Jazz legend Al Jarreau has died aged 76, just days after he announced his retirement from touring following being hospitalised for exhaustion.
The singer’s manager Joe Gordon said, in a statement:
“Al Jarreau passed away this morning, at about 5:30am LA time. He was in the hospital, kept comfortable by [son and wife] Ryan, Susan, and a few of his family and friends… Ryan and Susan will hold a small, private service at home, for immediate family only. No public service is planned yet.”
Jarreau was born in Milwaukee and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology before moving to Los Angeles to start an illustrious singing career that would see him win seven Grammys and dubbed “the voice of versatility” by the Chicago Tribune. In April 2016, he was invited by then-US President Barack Obama to perform at an International Jazz Day concert at the White House, along with Aretha Franklin and Sting.
A statement on Jarreau’s website reads: “His first priority, far ahead of [music], was healing or comforting anyone in need. Whether it was emotional pain, or physical discomfort, or any other cause of suffering, he needed to put our minds at ease and our hearts at rest. Song was just his tool for making that happen.”
