Legendary jazz artist Les McCann died Friday at the age of 88, according to NBC News.
McCann, perhaps best known for his song “Compared to What,” passed away Friday, according to his manager Alan Abrahams, NBC News reported. It is unclear what the cause of death was, but McCann was in a Los Angeles-area hospital after he developed pneumonia approximately one week prior, according to NBC News.
“He brought something from the Black church to jazz,” Abrahams said, according to NBC News. (RELATED: Remembering The Famous Faces We Lost In 2023)
McCann’s music was centered on soul-jazz sounds, and many high profile hip-hop stars sampled his work, including Dr. Dre, Notorious B.I.G, Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth among others, NBC News reported.
Les McCann, a trailblazing jazz pianist and singer whose work was sampled by Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre, has died at the age of 88 https://t.co/DsKK3bmCLe https://t.co/DsKK3bmCLe
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) January 1, 2024
Legendary producer Quincy Jones said “McCann has been a musical force of nature since he burst on the scene in the early 60’s. Whenever I heard him live or on record, he always did the unexpected.”
McCann made his big debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show” after winning a talent competition, NBC News reported. Fellow legendary jazz artist Miles Davis then saw McCann perform and recommended him to other artists.
McCann’s big breakthrough came in 1968 when he performed alongside Eddie Harris in Switzerland with the song “Compared to What,” according to NBC News. McCann continued playing even after his 1995 stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body.
