On Wednesday, the Legendary American jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney has died of complications from the novel coronavirus at St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson, in New Jersey, US. He was 59 years.
In a statement, Roney's publicist Lydia Liebman expressed her sadness to confirm that the legendary trumpeter passed away due to COVID-19 this morning.
She added that Roney had been admitted to the hospital last Wednesday, pointing out that working with Wallace was and will remain one of the greatest privileges of her life.
Liebman noted, "It was an honor to represent him and to be part of his musical world. I cannot even begin to express how much I will miss him and his music."
On his part, jazz legend Miles Davis said, "We are devastated to hear Wallace's death", adding, " He was a global life force in the jazz community."
He added, "We will miss you Roney. We love you. Peaceful journey."
What to know about Wallace Roney....
Roney was born in Philadelphia and attended Howard University and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, after graduating from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts of the D. C. Public Schools, where he studied trumpet with Langston Fitzgerald of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Found to have perfect pitch at the age of four, Wallace began his musical and trumpet studies at Philadelphia's Settlement School of Music.
He studied with trumpeter Sigmund Hering of the Philadelphia Orchestra for three years.
Hering regularly presented Wallace at recitals at the Settlement School, and with the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble, during his studies in Philadelphia.
When he entered the Duke Ellington School, Roney had already made his recording debut at age 15 with Nation and Haki Mahbuti, and at that time met, among others, Bill Hardman, Valery Ponomarev, Woody Shaw (who befriended him), Johnny Coles and Freddie Hubbard. He played with the Cedar Walton Quartet featuring Billy Higgins, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones at 16 years of age with the encouragement of his high school teacher.[1]
Roney attained distinction as a gifted local performer in the Washington, D.C area. In 1979 and 1980, Roney won the DownBeat Award for Best Young Jazz Musician of the Year, and in 1989 and 1990 the DownBeat Magazine's Critic's Poll for Best Trumpeter to Watch.
In 1986, he succeeded Terence Blanchard in Blakey's Jazz Messengers.[1] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was an integral part of Williams's quintet. In 1991, Roney played with Davis at the Montreux Jazz Festival. After Davis's death that year, Roney toured in memoriam with Davis alumni Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams and recorded an album, A Tribute to Miles, for which they won a Grammy Award.
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