Son Branford Marsalis reveals that the New Orleans musician died from complications of the Covid-19, as another son Ellis Marsalis III notes that he and his family were able to see him before his passing.
- April 2, 2020
AceShowbiz - Jazz veteran Ellis Marsalis Jr. died on Wednesday, April 01 after losing his battle against coronavirus.
The New Orleans musician was 85 when he passed away from complications of the Covid-19 virus, his son Branford Marsalis told the New York Times.
Ellis Marsalis III, another of the late jazz patriarch's six sons, added to the Associated Press: "Pneumonia was the actual thing that caused his demise. But it was pneumonia brought on by Covid-19."
He added that he'd driven from Baltimore to New Orleans on Sunday to be with his father, and other members of the family had seen him before his passing too.
Following his death, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement: "Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz. He was a teacher, a father, and an icon - and words aren't sufficient to describe the art, the joy and the wonder he showed the world."
Marsalis had a lengthy, hugely successful career as a jazz pianist and composer, as well as becoming the first jazz instructor at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. He went on to become the first chair of the University of New Orleans' jazz studies program, and also passed on his love of music to his sons - four of whom followed him into the music business.
