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: JOHN McBEATH   1938-2018

by Roger Mitchell & Martin Jackson

Ausjazz.net, March 16, 2018

John McBeath was born on February 18, 1938. He died in Adelaide on March 12, 2018. Today, family and close friends will farewell John, who many in the jazz community will know through his critiques of major festivals and the regular publication of his album reviews in The Australian. Not everyone was happy with what John wrote — that’s surely inevitable and appropriate for a music critic. But no-one doubted his commitment to the task...

OBITUARY: DICK HUGHES 1931-2018

by Eric Myers

The Australian, April 24, 2018

Dick Hughes had a rasping vocal style that suggested Fats Waller. As for his piano playing, his live performances showed that, at his best, he was capable of hot stride piano in the traditional style that predated bebop. But this largely self-taught pianist was modest about his abilities. “I don’t read music", he said. "I spell it out laboriously”...

OBITUARY: RODERICK MAYHEW 1972-1999

by Eileen Mayhew

JazzChord, Oct/Nov, 1999

The tragic death occurred in Vancouver Canada on September 26, 1999, of Sydney based jazz trumpeter Rod Mayhew aged 27 years. He was born on June 19, 1972 at Harden, NSW. Rod grew up among his large extended rural family in the Glen Innes district of Northern NSW…