George Duke, the pioneering jazz musician, died in Los Angeles on Monday after a long battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was 67.
Duke first got a taste of the power of jazz music at a young age when his mother brought him to see Duke Ellington play. Duke had credited seeing the performer pounding away at the ivories and conducting the men around him with inspiring him to pursue on a career in the genre.
In a career that spanned four decades, Duke released more than 40 albums. Throughout the years and the various iterations of the jazz genre to come – funk, R&B, etc. – Duke collaborated with a slew of important artists. Among them were Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson and Jill Scott. His contribution to music inspired and was sampled by the likes of Common, Daft Punk and Kanye West.
The Grammy-winning artist released his last album, DreamWeaver, this past July. The album, his first since his wife Corinne passed away last year, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart and is currently at No. 5.
After news of Duke’s death broke, a number of musicians took to Twitter to pay their respects:
Justin Timberlake:
RIP George Duke. Funk, Jazz, MUSIC Legend… One of the GREATEST.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) August 6, 2013
Janelle Monae:
I think musicians will really love EL. At least I hope. George Duke rest in peace. He was an inspiration to us.
— Janelle Monae (@JanelleMonae) August 7, 2013
Pam Grier:
George Duke, Crossover Musician With Frank Zappa, Dies at 67, via @nytimes, a great man. https://t.co/DHVwuNB5Kt
— Pam Grier (@PamGrier) August 7, 2013
Questlove Jenkins:
#GeorgeDuke merits the highest praise. Frank Zappa (beyond genius Genius) loved & respected Duke. that means somethin https://t.co/vpzeB65Mqm
— Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) August 6, 2013
Duke’s son, Rashid Duke, released a statement to express his gratitude for the kind words he’s been met with in the aftermath of his father’s death. “The outpouring of love and support that we have received from my father's friends, fans and the entire music community has been overwhelming," he said. "Thank you all for your concern, prayers and support."
– Chelsea Regan
Get Uinterview's FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.
Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.
The recent post on Truth Social followed the testimony of Keith Davidson, the attorney who…
The newly enacted law is the first of its kind in the nation and prohibits…
No law enforcement officials were summoned to the scene, and the paramedics concluded their visit…
Lisa Rinna, accompanied by her husband, Harry Hamlin, wore a white dress with bows.
Alongside the public outcry at Noem's written recollection of when she euthanized her dog, questions…
"It's a two-tier system," the former president declared. "Because when I look at Portland, when I…