Jazz legend Ellis Marsalis Jr. has died after battling pneumonia brought on by the coronavirus. The pianist, who was 85, was the patriarch of a New Orleans musical family and a celebrated musician in his own right.
The news was announced by his son Ellis Marsalis III, who confirmed that his dad's death was brought about by coronavirus. His death on Wednesday came just hours after Fountains of Wayne singer Adam Schlesinger died after contracting also coronavirus.
The musician, who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1934, was active on the music scene since the late 1940s. However, he came to greater attention in the 1980s and 1990s.