Dr. Lonnie Smith dies aged 79
Hammond organist and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Lonnie Smith has passed away at the age of 79
Last updated 29th Sep 2021
Famed Hammond organist Dr. Lonnie Smith has died at the age of 79.
The news was confirmed by his manager Holly Case, with it being reported that the cause of death was pulmonary fibrosis.
Tributes have been pouring in following the announcement, with Blue Note Records and fellow keyboardist Joey DeFrancesco penning dedications to the organist.
Joey DeFrancesco wrote, "Just got the very sad news about my friend and one of the Legends of The Organ". The keyboardist went on to say "He’ll be missed dearly, but never forgotten. He brought much joy to the world with his music".
Blue Note President and Jazz FM Award-winner Don Was said “Doc was a musical genius who possessed a deep, funky groove and a wry, playful spirit". He went on to say “His mastery of the drawbars was equalled only by the warmth in his heart. He was a beautiful guy and all of us at Blue Note Records loved him a lot.”
Dr. Lonnie Smith Biography:
Dr. Lonnie Smith was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1942 into a musical family, being immersed in gospel, blues and jazz from a young age. His first instrument was the trumpet before he began to experiment and play with the Hammond and church organ as a teenager. His gigs at the Pine Grill, in Buffalo, caught the attention of Lou Donaldson and his contemporaries.
After moving to New York, Smith first made his mark with guitarist George Benson in the mid-1960s, having played previously with Grover Washington Jr.
Smith released his solo debut album - Finger Lickin' Good - for Columbia Records in 1967, before appearing on a Blue Note record for the first time on Lou Donaldson's classic Alligator Bogaloo, which fused together soul-jazz and hard bop styles.
Between 1968-1970 Smith signed with Blue Note and released his own run of five soul-jazz classics from his Blue Note debut Think! - which featured trumpeter Lee Morgan and saxophonist David Newman - through to Live at Club Mozambique.
Smith recorded over 30 albums as a leader throughout his singular career, featuring and collaborating on over 70.
In the 1980s onwards, his recordings often found themselves being sampled in hip-hop, with his sound often credited with the development of the acid jazz movement.
Reflecting on his relationship with Blue Note, with whom the organist returned to in 2016, he said “Blue Note is like family...Everybody is great to work with. They give me the opportunity to play my life, to tell my story.”
In 2017, Dr. Lonnie Smith was made an NEA Jazz Master, one of the highest jazz honours in the USA, alongside vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and bassist David Holland.
Talking about his craft, he said that the organ was “an extension of my being...It’s a part of my lens. It breathes for me. It speaks for me. I feel every bit of the organ".