According to NPR, Dr. Lonnie Smith, a renowned Hammond B3 organist who was honored as NEA Jazz Master, died on Tuesday at the age of 79. Blue Note Records, his longstanding label, confirmed the news.
While he is most known for the Hammond B3 organ, his musical interests began as a teenager in a Buffalo suburb in the 1950s, when he was playing brass instruments at school. Singing was another of his talents, which he showcased with his doo wop group, the Supremes.
He grew interested in pursuing a career as a musician in the 1960s, but he had yet to choose an instrument. He admired Blue Note organist Jimmy Smith, and when music store owner and accordionist Art Kubera gave him a Hammond organ around this time, Smith’s fate was cemented.
His mastery of the instrument became apparent after only a year. He began assisting a number of Midwest bands, and by the mid-1960s, George Benson had persuaded him to join his newly formed quartet. Soon after, they were all signed to Columbia and began working on their own records.
When they appeared on saxophonist Lou Donaldson’s title tune from 1967 via Blue Note album Alligator Boogaloo, they achieved a smash on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 1968, Smith signed with the renowned label as a bandleader. He was a prolific artist for the label, releasing five albums in the early 1970s. He left Blue Note for a time and worked with a number of performers, including a brief stay with Marvin Gaye and Etta James.
In 2016, he rejoined with Blue Note. He was recognized as an NEA Jazz Master shortly after and went on to write collaborations with Norah Jones and the Roots.
All in My Mind was released in 2018 and Breathe, which was produced by Don Was and had multiple collaborations with Iggy Pop, was released in 2021.
