Chick Corea, Grammy-winning jazz musician, dies at 79

The jazz pioneer Chick Corea has died at the age of 79.

According to a post on his Facebook page, the musician died from “a rare form of cancer which was only discovered very recently”. In his career, Corea won 23 Grammys and was the fourth most-nominated artist in Grammys history.

“Throughout his life and career, Chick relished in the freedom and the fun to be had in creating something new, and in playing the games that artists do,” the post read. “He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather, and a great mentor and friend to so many. Through his body of work and the decades he spent touring the world, he touched and inspired the lives of millions.”

Corea was a multi-faceted musician, working as a composer, keyboardist, bandleader and occasional percussionist. He was a part of Miles Davis’s band in the late 60s and was viewed as one of the key forces behind jazz fusion.

“I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright,” Corea said in a final statement also shared on Facebook. “It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, it’s also just a lot of fun.”

Tributes have poured in from across the music industry, including from the rapper Q-Tip who tweeted “RIP to one of the coldest pianist/keyboardist/songwriters of ALL TIME”, and the musician Mike Portnoy who posted “So sad to hear of the passing of @ChickCorea One of the pioneers of jazz/fusion keyboards. Return To Forever was one of the first real Supergroups and such a huge influence”.

More to come…