Legendary New Orleans jazz musician Ellis Marsalis Jr has died at the age of 85 from complications of coronavirus. The pianist and educator was the patriarch of a legendary musical family.
His son Branford Marsalis told the New York Times that his father had died due to COVID-19. Ellis Jr was the father of four musical sons.
He died on Wednesday, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music director Emeritus Quint Davis announced. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell released a statement following the sad news.
She said: "Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz. "He was a teacher, a father, and an icon - and words aren't sufficient to describe the art, the joy and the wonder he showed the