RIP
By Linda Ge
TheWrap
Legendary jazz musician Charlie Haden has passed away at the age of 76 after a prolonged illness, his record label announced on Friday.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce that Charlie Haden, born August 6, 1937 inShenandoah, Iowa, passed away today at 10:11 Pacific time in Los Angeles after a prolonged illness,” said Tina Pelikan, ECM Records Publicity, in a statement.
Also on TheWrap: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2014 (Photos)
Haden grew up on a farm in Iowa and frequently performed with his family on the radio. After contracting polio at age 15, the illness left him unable to sing, so he turned to jazz and the bass, ultimately becoming one of the pioneers of the genre. His notable recordings include “The Shape of Jazz to Come” with Ornette Coleman.
The multiple Grammy winner picked up his first trophy in 2001, when Haden won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz CD for his album “Nocturne,” which contains boleros from Cuba and Mexico. In 2003 he won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance for his album “Land of the Sun.”
Also on TheWrap: Jimmy Scott, Jazz Singer Featured on ‘Twin Peaks,’ Dead at 88
He is survived by Ruth Cameron, his wife of 30 years, and his children Josh, Tanya, Rachel and Petra, who were all by his side at the time of his death.