legend Chick Corea died at age 79 on Tuesday, September 9th, due to a rare form of cancer recently discovered, his official social media page confirmed.
The official announcement also shared that, although music touches far more people than words could, the musician himself left a message for family, friends, and fans worldwide: “I want to thank everyone who, throughout my journey, has helped keep the flames of music burning brightly. I hope that those who have an inclination to play, write, perform, or something similar will do it. If not for yourselves, for the rest of us. It’s not just that the world needs more artists, but also because it’s so much fun.”
“And to my incredible musician friends, who have been like family to me for as long as I’ve known them: it has been a blessing and an honor to learn and play with all of you,” he continues. “My mission has always been to bring the joy of creating wherever I can, and to have done that with all the artists I admire so much has been the richness of my life.”
Corea was considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of the 1960s, collecting 23 Grammy Awards and being nominated more than 60 times. He also collaborated with big names in the genre such as Stan Getz and Herbie Mann , and had his breakthrough in jazz fusion when he joined Miles Davis . Last year, the artist won his last Grammy with the album Antidote , released with the Spanish Heart Band , taking home the award for "Best Latin Jazz Album".
Rest in peace, Chick.
