Renowned keyboardist Eddie Palmieri has passed away at the age of 88. His demise was confirmed by his daughter, who disclosed that he succumbed to an “extended illness”.
The artist, a pioneer in the rumba and Latin jazz genres, had a glittering career spanning 70 years during which he bagged eight Grammy Awards. This follows the sad news of a fellow Grammy Award winning jazz musician, Cleo Laine, who died last month.
Eddie breathed his last at his New Jersey residence on Wednesday. He made history as the first Latino to clinch a Grammy Award in 1975 and went on to have a remarkable career.
The musician earned the moniker “Madman of Salsa”.
(Image: AP)
Eddie was very passionate about his musical talents and once said: ““When I’m playing live, I’m not thinking at all. Estoy entregado. I’m completely surrendered. It’s a unity of minds with the other players… My mission is to make the dancer happy. … Onstage, I’m a warrior. And the dancer is my best enemy.”
Eddie’s career soared in the 1980s after he was named as a global ambassador for Latin Jazz, after touring the world.
He dabbled in a few different bands over the years and founded groups such as La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. Eddie continued to make music well into his 80s and kept fans entertained throughout the pandemic with livestream performances.
(Image: AP)
In 2011, he was asked if he had anything important left to do, and he answered: “Learning to play the piano well. … Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another.”
Fania Records also confirmed Eddie’s death as they dubbed the performer as a legend in the music industry.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
