Who was Barbara Morrison? Tributes pour in as Jazz and Blues singer dies aged 72

Jazz and blues legend Barbara Morrison recently passed away at the age of 72. The Los Angeles Times reported that she died on the morning of March 16, 2022.

A GoFundMe page was created this month on behalf of Morrison after she was admitted to the hospital with cardiovascular disease. Her manager Timothy Morganfield said,

“It’s just a big big loss.. everybody I talked to .. tears galore.”

A memorial has been created on the sidewalk outside the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center in honor of the famous singer.

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Journey of Barbara Morrison in the music industry

Barbara Morrison was a famous jazz singer (Image via Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

Born on September 10, 1949, she was raised in Romulus, Michigan, and recorded her first appearance on radio in Detroit when she was 10. She then shifted to Los Angeles in 1973 and sang with Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson’s band.

She recorded many albums with Johnny Otis between 1970 and 1990. She then toured with the Philip Morris Superband in 1986 and completed a one-month tour of 14 cities including Canada, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines.

She played with jazz organist Jimmy Smith at the time and was backed by saxophonist James Moody, guitarist Kenny Burrell, trumpeter Jon Faddis, and drummer Grady Tate.

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Barbara then completed a 33-city tour of the US as a tribute to composer Harold Arlen. She was featured in a televised tribute to Ella Fitzgerald in 1995 alongside Mela Torme, Diane Reeves, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Tony Bennett, Dionne Warwick, and Lou Rawls.

Morrison also worked with several artists like Gerald Wilson, Etta James, Terence Blanchard, Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, David T. Walker, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, and more.

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The Ypsilanti, Michigan native performed at Montreux Jazz Festival, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Darling Harbour, and others. She also gave a few performances as a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Golson. She then began performing with guitarist Jack Hale in 2011.

Following her demise, KNBC reported that she was scheduled to perform at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood on the evening of March 16 with Dante Chambers.

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Twitter gets flooded with tributes

Barbara Morrison became a famous name all these years as a jazz singer. Many public and popular personalities expressed their grief on Twitter when they heard about her death.

There are no known survivors of Morrison so far and detailed information about her personal life is yet to be revealed.