Hank Crawford

Q: When did Hank Crawford die?

Hank Crawford died on January 29, 2009.

Q: How old was Hank Crawford when they died?

Hank Crawford was 74 years old at the time of death.

Q: What was Hank Crawford's cause of death?

The cause of death of Hank Crawford was complications from a stroke.

Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger, and songwriter whose genres included R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for Ray Charles before embarking on a solo career, releasing many well-regarded albums for labels such as Atlantic, CTI, and Milestone.

Early life

Crawford was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. He began formal piano studies at the age of nine and was soon playing for his church choir. His father had brought an alto saxophone home from the service, and when Hank entered Manassas High School, he took it up in order to join the band. He credits Charlie Parker, Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, and Johnny Hodges as early influences.

Career

Crawford appears on an early 1952 Memphis recording for B. B. King, with a band including Ben Branch and Ike Turner.

In 1958, Crawford attended Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee. While there, he majored in music, studying theory and composition, as well as playing alto and baritone saxophones in the Tennessee State Jazz Collegians. He also led his own rock 'n' roll quartet: "Little Hank and the Rhythm Kings". His bandmates all thought he looked and sounded just like Hank O'Day, a local saxophonist, which earned him the nickname "Hank". This is when Crawford met Ray Charles, who hired Crawford originally as a baritone saxophonist. Crawford switched to alto in 1959 and remained with Charles's band, serving as its musical director until 1963.

When Crawford left Ray Charles in 1963 to form his own septet, he had already established himself through several albums for Atlantic Records. From 1960 until 1970, he recorded twelve LPs for the label, many while balancing his earlier duties as Ray's director. He released such pre-crossover hits as "Misty", "The Peeper", "Whispering Grass", and "Shake-A-Plenty".

He also did musical arrangement for Etta James and Lou Rawls, among others. Crawford recorded "Wild Flower" in 1973, and in 1978, worked with Cornell Dupree on the album Shadow Dancing. Much of his career was in R&B, but in the 1970s, he had several successful jazz albums, with I Hear a Symphony reaching no. 11 on Billboard's jazz albums chart and no. 159 for pop albums.

David Sanborn has cited Crawford as being one of his primary influences. Crawford is recognized by saxophonists as having a particularly unique and pleasing sound. In 1981, he featured with fellow saxophonists David "Fathead" Newman and Ronnie Cuber on B. B. King's There Must Be a Better World Somewhere.

In 1983, he traded to Milestone Records as a premier arranger, soloist, and composer, writing for small bands, including guitarist Melvin Sparks, organist Jimmy McGriff, and Dr. John. In 1986, Crawford began working with soul-jazz organist Jimmy McGriff. They recorded five co-leader dates for Milestone: Soul Survivors, Steppin' Up, On the Blue Side, Road Tested, and Crunch Time, as well as two dates for Telarc Records: Right Turn on Blue and Blues Groove. The two toured together extensively.

The 21st century found Crawford shifting gears and pursuing more a mainstream jazz set with his 2000 release The World of Hank Crawford. Though its track listing includes the music of jazz composers like Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, and Tadd Dameron, he delivers a soul sound that is his trademark. The following year saw the release of The Best of Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff.