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Bobby Peterson
Number 75 of 76 on the AQ's 'Great Day in St. Paul' poster.
Billy Peterson, Irv Williams, Bobby Peterson, and Kenny Horst
Visit pianist Bobby Peterson's page on the Twin Cities Jazz Society web site.Sadly, Bobby passed away on July 8, 2002 from heart failure. He will be greatly missed.
The following obituary appeared in the St. Paul paper:
Bobby Peterson, a legendary pianist in the Twin Cities jazz community, collapsed after playing at a wedding Friday and died Monday at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. He was 52.
"He got up from the piano, stood up to pack up his equipment and fell over," said Billy Peterson, a cousin and member of the famed Peterson clan of musicians. "He went out on the bandstand, a perfect ending to a musician's life."
Peterson was transferred to Methodist Hospital but taken off life support Monday night.
"He was a major jazz figure in the Twin Cities for over 35 years," said Kenny Horst, owner of the Artists' Quarter in St. Paul, where Peterson frequently performed. "It's an absolutely horrendous loss."
Peterson was a top piano player in his teens and joined the Buddy Rich Orchestra at age 21 before returning to the Twin Cities to live several years later.
"He was an artist deserving much wider recognition," said Leigh Kamman, longtime jazz broadcaster for Minnesota Public Radio. "He was a supreme accompanist and improviser. He was really just a stunning pianist."
Peterson had taken heart medication since 1994, when he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.
Horst described Peterson as "a powerhouse" of a piano player who performed with amazing energy.
"The thing about Bobby is he could raise the level of everybody in the room," Horst said. "He could swing like crazy. That's what set him apart."
Audiences often wouldn't wait for a Peterson solo to end before erupting in applause, Horst said.
"I can't tell you how many times people would break out in applause during the solo," he said.
Peterson also played saxophone and trumpet and was a composer as well.
The Bobby Peterson Trio was scheduled to play July 18 at the Artists' Quarter, and the other two members of the trio — Billy Peterson and Horst — will perform that night with local celebrity musicians sitting in to honor Peterson.
Peterson is survived by his wife, Gail; a sister, Carol; and brothers Russ and Tommy, who played saxophone on the "Tonight Show" band for many years.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at Living Word Christian Center, 9201 75th Ave. N. in Brooklyn Park.
A service of MNJazz.com.
