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Another great name to join that party in the sky.
Sir John Dankworth, a mainstay of the British jazz scene for over 60 years, has died.
Saxophonist Sir John, 82, served as musical director to the likes of Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald.
Sir John, known as Johnny, died in a London hospital on Saturday. He had been ill for several months.
His wife, the singer Dame Cleo Laine, announced his death at a concert at their Buckinghamshire theatre, where she was performing with their children.
The concert on Saturday was celebrating 40 years of the theatre, which the couple founded in the grounds of their home in Wavendon.
The show must go on: His family performed on the day of his death
Dame Cleo broke the news to the artists before the concert began but did not tell the audience until the finale.
The theatre's chief executive said the family had shown "incredible" bravery.
"I think the audience had a great sense of shock," said Monica Ferguson. "There were a lot of gasps and people I spoke to afterwards were visibly shaken and moved by it."
The concert featured performances from Dame Cleo and the couple's jazz musician children Alec and Jacqui.
Celebrities such as Paul O'Grady, Prunella Scales, Maureen Lipman, Timothy West and Victoria Wood were among the 400-strong audience.
'International figure'
Sir John died at the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.
In a statement, his agent said: "The all-star concert, featuring numerous British stars of stage, screen and recordings, became a tribute to John."
He was hailed by Jazzwise magazine as "one of the totemic figures of British jazz" and the UK's "first major jazz musician".
His agent Jim Murtha, speaking from New York, told the BBC it was "a sad day".
Mr Murtha added: "For British jazz and jazz around the world, I believe John has become such an international figure, particularly since he became Sir John Dankworth a few years ago."
On his Twitter page, jazz singer Jamie Cullum hailed Sir John as a "genius".
He wrote: "Sir John Dankworth, a great man and one of our finest musicians and composers, has died. Rest in peace sir."
Sir John and Dame Cleo met in 1950 while he was auditioning for singers with his band, the Dankworth Seven.
In 1993 Sir John formed the Dankworth Generation Band, with his son Alec.
After winning a place at the Royal Academy of Music aged 17, and following a short spell in the Army, the young Sir John was voted British Musician of the Year in 1949.
The same year he attended the Paris Jazz Festival, where he played with the legendary Charlie Parker.
In the 1960s, Sir John scored such films as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Servant and Modesty Blaise and wrote the theme tunes for The Avengers and Tomorrow's World.
Sir John and Dame Cleo founded their charity, the Wavendon Allmusic Plan, in 1969, which led to the establishment of the Stables.
He was appointed CBE in 1974 and founded the London Symphony Orchestra Summer Pops in 1985.
Sir John was a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and received the Freedom of the City of London in 1994.
He was knighted in 2006 for services to music.
In October last year he fell ill at the end of a US tour with his wife.
The couple cancelled a number of UK concert dates for the following month, although Sir John did return to the concert stage at the London Jazz Festival, playing his saxophone from his wheelchair at the Royal Festival Hall.
Lizx
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I saw Johnny Dankworth WITH Cleo Laine, as it was advertised, in Clacton-on-Sea, summer 1959
They had a Jazz Festival ..... I was working at a hotel in Frinton-on-Sea, and several of us went into Clacton to several performances, the 11 pm show being the only one we could get to!
The two I remember are Johnny Dankworth and Humphrey Lyttleton .................. they were my introduction to Jazz
but Dankworth was very clearly the name ......... not Cleo Laine AND Johnny Dankworth as they were advertised over here in the 80s and 90s.
RIP
sylvia
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We were just talking about him this weekend in a thread on Chat that had gone off in all directions.
I saw them once long ago here in Canada ... can't remember exactly when, but at least a decade later than Sylvia. ;)
Will have to dig out my one album and have a listen.
Went hunting at youtube and found this interesting thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94YSfCczFYc
John Dankworth vs White Defence League
The direct precursor to Rock Against Racism and today's Love Music Hate Racism campaign was the Stars Campaign for Inter-Racial Friendship, founded in 1959 to combat the activities of the White Defence League (sic) in London's Notting Hill. The chairman of the Stars Campaign for Inter-Racial Friendship was the musician Johnny Dankworth, and members included the gorgeous mixed-race actress and singer Cleo Laine, Tommy Steele, Lonnie Donegan and Humphrey Lyttelton, and the founder was the Anti-Fascist folk singer Karl Dallas.
Short interview with a very young Johnny Dankworth, 1959 it seems.
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That was interesting Janey, and Lonnie Donegan was impressive too with the way he spoke.
Lizx
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Now I have to find out who Lonnie Donegan is!
But since it's 30 to midnight here and the Superbowl nonsense must be over, first I will go home and eat. ;)
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Lonnie Donegan
skiffle
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavour (on the bedpost overnight)
Cumberland Gap
My Old Man's a Dustman
Gamblin' Man
Just for Janey :))))))))))))
sylvia
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Oh!
Does your chewing gum etc. was my dad's favourite tune. ;)
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I well remember Johnny Dankworth.I was myself part of the Manchester jazz scene in the late 50's early 60's playing trad and dixieland.We were playing a gig at Manchester students union,and both Johnny and Ronnie Scott were playing there.They were both very nice people and so talented.
Met Humph a few times.What a nice man he was too.
It's sad to see all these names I knew going.
RIP Johnny.
Brenda x
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