buzzz worthy. . .
The memorial services for musical virtuoso George Duke will stream live on CentricTV.com Monday, Aug. 19 at 5 p.m. EST (2 p.m. PST) in honor of the industry titan known for his incomparable work that spanned the genres of jazz fusion, R&B, funk and more.
His manager Darryl Porter confirmed the news of Duke’s death last week stating that he had suffered heart complications after being treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia; he was 67. He leaves behind two sons, Rashid and John.
His wife Corine died last year after her battle with cancer.
Duke’s “Celebration of Life” will take place at Lure in Los Angeles, beginning with a special viewing that will highlight the Grammy winner's life and legacy via photos and video from throughout the years. Following the service, friends of Duke will jam out to his most famous tunes as we reflect on a life well-lived.
Dianne Reeves, Jeffery Osborne, Quincy Jones and Stanley Clarke are expected to perform.
Born in 1946 in San Rafael, Calif., the natural-born talent grew up listening to gospel music and first stepped behind a piano as a young boy after his mother took him to see Duke Ellington. In the ‘60s, Duke backed jazz musicians such as Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon which eventually led to partnerships with Jean-Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa.
Duke’s career, which spanned more than five decades, constantly pushed the limits to what was expected in any specific genre and has been noted as working with greats such as Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, George Clinton, Gladys Knight and others.
Join us as we celebrate the life of this incredible musician who will not soon be forgotten.
(Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images) Via Centric