67 time old fabulous keyboardist, musician, and songster George Duke passed away August 5th 2013. He was suffering from habitual lymphocytic leukemia. In his long career the music legend has played with a series of Jazz and Pop greats like Miles Davis, Michael Jackson and french violinist Jean Luc Ponty. The two musicians recorded an reader in 1969. His work on Michael Jackson’s “ Off The Wall” reader earned him a Grammy Award. Geoge was a record patron and pen for Miles Davis compendiums Tutu and Amandla. He also had a solo career of his own in the 70’s with the single Reach For It which outgunned number 2 on Billboard R&B maps. His compositions have been featured in an array of movie soundtracks, videotape games and tried by artist like Daft Punk, Mylo, Common, Kanye West and Ice Cell. In 2007 he worked on Jill Scott’s third reader The Real Thing Words and Sounds Volume 3. His net worth was$ 9 million from royalties and times of touring.
George was born in San Rafael California in 1946. As a child he fell in love with music and rehearsed several brass instruments, trombone, trumpet and saxophone in high academy. He continued developing his musical chops and earned a bachelorette’s degree in trombone composition from the San Francisco Conservatory. While working towards his Master’s degree at San Francisco State University Duke was playing a original bars in the megacity. He teamed up with several bands and traveled throughout California playing free shows at Carnivals. George also used his formal education tutoring a course on Jazz And American Culture at Merritt Junior College in Oakland.
