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: NAT OLIVER 1940–2010

by Bill Haesler OAM

October 2010, Sydney Jazz Club’s Quarterly Rag

Oliver Charles Hetherington, born on 1 September 1940 in Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotland was a talented, mainly self-taught, cornet player with a fine singing voice and a unique ear for jazz music, but little known outside Sydney. He had come to Australia with his parents and older brothers, Edward and David in January 1950, where the family endured migrant accommodation at Westmead until moving to Warwick Farm, North Sydney and finally Normanhurst.  Encouraged by their parents, Oliver [Ollie] and his brothers discovered jazz as young teenagers at the Sydney Jazz Club…

OBITUARY: MAURICE RICHARD GARBUTT 1941-2016

by Judith Doyle

Jazzline, 2016

Maurice Garbutt was born on May 29, 1941 to Cath (nee Carter) and Dick Garbutt, who ran the Prince Alfred Hotel in Bay Street, Port Melbourne. His sister Catherine (Ann) was three years old when Maurice was born, and from the outset they both displayed artistic leanings and this was encouraged by Cath. We both attended the same central school in Middle Park from where, as friends, we would go to Maurice's house to listen to Bunk Johnson, George Lewis, Ken Colyer and the earlier Crane River Jazz Band…

OBITUARY: RICKY MAY 1944-1988

by Bruce Johnson

APRA Magazine, December 1988

Ricky May died shortly after midnight on June 1st, 1988, immediately following a performance at the Don Burrows Supper Club in Sydney. He was 44 years old. Next time you hear someone start a joke that puts down New Zealanders living in Australia, ask the person telling it if he or she can match the achievements of people like Rick Laird, Ned Sutherland, Laurie Lewis, Dave MacRae, Charlie Munro, Judy Bailey, Mike Nock, Julian Lee... And when we think about how much Australian music has to be thankful for from across the Tasman, the name Ricky May has to be at or near the top of the list…