Farewell to another Detroit legend...... DETROIT (AP) — Marcus Belgrave, a jazz trumpeter who graced stages and studios with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Cocker and Motown artists galore, has died. He was 78. Hazelette Crosby-Robinson, a cousin of Belgrave's wife Joan Belgrave, said the musician died Sunday at an Ann Arbor care facility. The cause of death was heart failure. Belgrave remained active on the Detroit and international jazz scenes up until his death. He started playing professionally at 12 and joined The Ray Charles Band in the late 1950s. He came to Detroit in 1962 and became a studio musician for Motown Records, playing on hits including "My Girl" and "Dancing in the Street." In 2009, he received the Kresge Foundation's Eminent Artist award, honoring nationally acclaimed artists who have pursued careers in Detroit.
He was a very nice guy and a musical giant. I had the good fortune of playing on the same bill with him at a local festival a couple years back. Prayers to his wife Joan and the rest of his family. RIP Marcus.
So glad I got to see him play live a few years ago, with John Handy no less. Here's one of my favorite songs that he recorded:
