Ramsey Lewis passes away, aged 87
The NEA Jazz Master and multi-Grammy winner's death was announced via a social media post
Last updated 13th Sep 2022
Ramsey Lewis, the three-time Grammy Award-winning pianist, NEA Jazz Master, and Jazz FM Award winner, has passed away at the age of 87.
It has been revealed that the revered jazz and crossover pianist died "peacefully at his home in Chicago on the morning of September 12", according to an official social media post.
Messages are coming in from across the music world, who recorded over an impressive 80 albums in his lifetime, including tributes from Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey, Gil Scott-Heron contributor Brian Jackson, and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club.
His wife, Janet Lewis, wrote, "Ramsey’s passion for music was truly fuelled by the love and dedication of his fans across the globe. He loved touring and meeting music lovers from so many cultures and walks of life. It was our family’s great pleasure to share Ramsey in this special way with all those who admired his God-given talents".
About Ramsey Lewis:
Ramsey E. Lewis Jr. was born in Chicago on the 27th of May in 1935. Ramsey began taking piano lessons from a young age, at just four years old where he would go on to play the piano at his family's church, where his father was the choir director. His father, a jazz fan, played lots of Duke Ellington and Art Tatum at home, encouraging Ramsey to embrace that music.
Ramsey Lewis established himself as a significant jazz force in the 1950s, with his open mind and crossover style allowing him to venture into the R&B and pop worlds, breaking through with Grammy-winning 1965 albumThe In Crowd. The album would go on to sell over a million copies.
Through the 1970’s he formed a sensational partnership with Maurice WhitefromEarth, Wind & Fire, resulting in his funky Sun Goddess album, which went to number 1 on the US Billboard Chart.
Ramsey Lewis was a long-time friend of Jazz FM. In 2013, we were proud to present Ramsey with the 'Gold Award For Outstanding Contribution to Jazz' at the Jazz FM Awards.
Ramsey Lewis retired from performing in 2018, at the age of 83, after seven decades of performing live.
Despite this, Ramsey would go on to create and perform in a revered livestream concert series during the pandemic. Dubbed the Saturday Salon livestream series, produced during the pandemic by his wife Jan, was critically acclaimed.
Ramsey also appeared on the opening season of our landmark series The Music That Made Me, for a fascinating extended conversation about his formative musical experiences.
He also has a forthcoming album, The Beatles Songbook: The Saturday Salon Series, Volume One, which will be posthumously released November 11 by Steele Records, was drawn from the livestream performances. There will also be a memoir of his life, called Gentleman of Jazz, which__ will be released via Blackstone Publishing in 2023.