Jazz great, Sir John Dankworth, has died at the age of 82.
London Jazz great, Sir John Dankworth died yesterday after battling illness for several months. The saxophonist and musical director passed away over the weekend in King Edward VII Hospital, London.
Knighted in 2006 for his lifelong contribution to jazz, Johnny Dankworth, as he was known, rose to popularity throughout the 1950s with his group, the Dankworth Seven. He went on to work with the greats of the scene such as Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald.
Dankworth’s legacy will continue to inspire and influence London jazz musicians, with Jamie Cullum paying tribute on his twitter page: "Sir John Dankworth, a great man and one of our finest musicians and composers, has died. Rest in peace sir."
His death was announced by his wife, Dame Cleo Laine, at an anniversary concert for The Stables Theatre, Buckinghamshire, the venue they founded together.
The concert, which saw Dankworth’s family performing alongside Victoria Wood and Paul O’Grady became a fitting tribute, with Dame Laine noting, “It is what he would have wanted.”
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