| Birth: | Jul. 25, 1906 | | Death: | May 11, 1970 | 
Renowned Jazz Musician. Alto saxophonist and featured soloist in Duke Ellington's orchestra from May 1928 until his death, except for the period 1951-55, when he led his own small ensemble. Johnny Hodges was born John Cornelius Hodges (also called 'Rabbit' Hodges) in July of 1906 in Cambridge, Mass. He started his musical career playing drums and piano before taking up the saxophone at the age of 14, beginning on the soprano and later the alto. Hodges was basically self taught, though he received encouragement from Sydney Bechet. He joined Ellington after brief stays in the bands of Lloyd Scott, Chick Webb and Lucky Roberts. Hodges became the leading alto saxophonist in jazz throughout the 1930's, applying precision and swing to a "Sweet" tone and a brilliant improvisational sense of composition. He excelled at ballads ("Warm Valley" is among his most famous solos) and blues. Hodges projected sensuous elegance through a commanding sound and perfected the use of slurs, portamnetos and glissandi. Throughout his career he recorded extensively with Ellington, as well as on several albums under his own name. Johnny Hodges died of a heart attack in New York on May 11, 1970 while at his dentist office. He was eulogized at his funeral by Duke Ellington. (bio by: Curtis Jackson)
Search Amazon for Johnny Hodges | | | Burial:
Flushing Cemetery
Flushing
Queens County
New York, USA
Plot: Section 11, subsection D |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Mar 16, 1999
Find A Grave Memorial# 4727 |
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