Lou Donaldson dead: Veteran jazz saxophonist, known for 'Blues Walk' and 'Alligator Bogaloo,' dies at 98
Veteran jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson, whose career spanned more than 50 years, has died aged 98.
His family announced the news on his official website, saying: "The Family of Sweet Poppa Lou Donaldson sadly confirms his death on November 9, 2024. A private service will be held. Thank you for your support of Lou and his music throughout his career. Because of you, his legendary contributions to Jazz will live on forever."
Donaldson, a native of Badin, North Carolina, was celebrated for his warm, fluid alto saxophone style, blending bop, soul, blues, and pop into a unique sound. He emerged in the post-World War II jazz scene and collaborated with some of the greatest musicians of his time, including Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, Art Blakey, and George Benson.
Donaldson's work was sampled by artists such as Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Nas, A$AP Rocky, De La Soul, and Amy Winehouse. Among his notable albums were Alligator Bogaloo, Lou Donaldson at His Best, and Wailing with Lou. He was also known for opening his performances with the 1958 track Blues Walk. “That’s my theme song,” he said in a 2013 interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, which named him a Jazz Master that year. “Gotta good groove, a good groove to it.”
He also launched the careers of other musicians, such as trumpeter Clifford Brown and pianist Horace Silver. In 1967, he achieved mainstream success with a cover of Ode to Billy Joe, featuring a young George Benson on guitar.
Donaldson then retired in 2018 after decades of performing, primarily in New York City’s jazz clubs. He was a regular at Dizzy’s Jazz Club, where he often celebrated his birthday but had to cancel his plans this year due to illness.
He was married to Maker Neal Turner from 1950 until her death in 2006. The couple had two daughters, the late Lydia Tutt-Jones and surviving daughter Carol.
Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins paid tribute to the musician on social media: “Lou Donaldson: one of the best humans God introduced me to. May his soul always be alive in this world.”
Jazz expert Mark Stryker said Donaldson’s death comes in the wake of other recent losses in the jazz community. “Tough 9 days for the music: Quincy Jones was 91; George Bohanon, 87; Lou Donaldson, 98; Roy Haynes, 99,” Stryker said. “Yes – all especially long and well-lived lives. Still, that’s 375 years of combined wisdom and history leaving the planet.”
The National Endowment for the Arts also acknowledged his passing: “It is with great sadness that @NEAarts acknowledges the passing of saxophonist Lou Donaldson, recipient of a 2013 Jazz Master Fellowship, the nation's highest honor in jazz.”