OBITUARIES

This folder includes obituaries for jazz musicians or persons of significance to the Australian jazz community, written by several contributors. Click on the INDEX box to access a list of obituaries contained in this folder.

OBITUARY: CEDRIC PEARCE   1919 - 1982

by Tom Pickering

Jazz Magazine, September/October, 1982

Cedric Pearce, one of the pioneers of Australian jazz, died of leukaemia in Hobart on 28th July, 1982. As well as being a drummer, Cedric was a writer, a publisher and, for many years, the leading Tasmanian bookseller. He belonged to the first wave of Australians to discover jazz, research it, play it and spread the gospel…

OBITUARY: JUNE SMITH 1930-2016

by Garry Lee

West Australian, May 30, 2016

The Perth jazz community recently mourned the loss of its original Lady of Jazz, June Smith, who passed away on the 5th May, 2016. June was an inspiration to generations of jazz musicians and especially jazz vocalists from Helen Matthews to Libby Hammer…

OBITUARY: GEORGIA LEE 1921-2010

by Nikki Henningham

Georgia Lee was born Dulcie Rama Pitt, in Cairns, Queensland in 1921. She became a jazz and blues singer of international renown who, in the 1950s was called ‘Melbourne’s Number One Female Singer’. Of Torres Strait Islander and Cloncurry Aboriginal descent, she was the first Indigenous artist to record a full album, and the first Australian to record one in stereo...