Pianist. A performer and composer, he shall be remembered for the "Shearing Sound", a pioneering way of drawing music from the piano that helped define his contributions to jazz over a three quarter century career. Born blind to a large working class family, he began playing the piano at three and in his teens was to spend four years at the Linden Lodge School for the Blind. Influenced by classical music as well as by such jazz legends as Fats Waller, he refined his skills in a Lambeth pub and, encouraged by Leonard Feather, began recording around 1937, joined Harry Parry's ensemble in 1940, and was also to be a member of George Evans' Saxes 'n Sevens, while winning seven straight Melody Maker polls. Sir George moved to the United States in 1947 (eventually taking American citizenship in 1956) and initially served as a fill-in accompanist for Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, while also working with both Oscar Pettiford and Buddy DeFranco. He formed the first of several George Shearing Quintets in 1949, and that year released one of his two best known hits, "September in the Rain", while 1952 was to see the second, "Lullaby of Birdland". Over the years he was to collaborate with a succession of jazz masters including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, Peggy Lee, and Mel Torme, whom he helped win two Grammy Awards in the 1980s. (Torme is said to have been furious that Sir George was not also honored with a Grammy). His discography was massive, with the more noted albums including "Nat King Cole Sings, George Shearing Plays" (1961) and a 2002 offering with John Pizzarelli entitled "The Rare Delight of You" which was loosely patterned on the disc made with Cole. He was to perform for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and for Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan; his honors were many including a 1978 Horatio Alger Award, the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, 1996 designation as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), a 2003 BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, Knighthood in 2007, and multiple honorary doctorates. Sir George continued performing well into old age and died of heart failure. On the occasion of his investiture as a Knight he was told not to extend his hand to the Queen unless she extended hers first; drawing humor from his blindness he said: "Well, somebody's going to have to cue me, or she's going to have to wear a bell".