Jazz Clarinet Player Buddy DeFranco Dies at 91

Celebrity

The one-time Glenn Miller Orchestra leader is confirmed by his wife to have passed away December 24 in Panama City, Florida.

December 27, 2014

AceShowbiz -

Renowned jazz clarinet player Buddy DeFranco has passed away. The musician whose real name is Boniface Ferdinand Leonard DeFranco died Wednesday, December 24 in Panama City, Florida, his wife Joyce confirmed the sad news. He was 91.

During his long career, DeFranco played clarinet with Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and many other top artists. He also performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Art Tatum, and Oscar Peterson.

Editors' Pick

DeFranco led Glenn Miller Orchestra for eight years. He was feted as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and a Living Jazz Legend at the Kennedy Center. He recorded dozens of albums with his 1958 record "Cross Country Suite" earning a Grammy Award for its composer Nelson Riddle. DeFranco continued performing until he was 89.

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