Ramsey Lewis Obituary, Funeral

Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. was an American jazz composer, pianist, and radio personality. He was born on May 27, 1935 and died on September 12, 2022. He was 87 years old.

Lewis died in his sleep at his Chicago home, according to his son, Bobby Lewis.

“He was just at peace,” Bobby Lewis told the Associated Press on Monday night.

“Most people say when they met dad that he was a class act. He was that way even through his last breath.”

Lewis first took piano lessons at age four and spent his early days in Chicago using his gospel and classical roots to create his own jazz style in the many neighborhood venues that hired young jazz musicians.

During his illustious career, Lewis performed with other renowned musical stars such as Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Al Jarreau and Pat Metheney.

Lewis had more than 80 albums to his credit and toured the world, performing at the 1995 state dinner that then president Bill Clinton hosted for president Fernando Henrique of Brazil.

Lewis is revered in jazz circles for 1960s hits like The In Crowd, Hang on Sloopy and Wade in the Water. He earned three Grammy awards and seven gold records.

In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosted the weekly syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, created in 1990, syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks.

He also hosted the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago “smooth jazz” radio station WNUA (95.5 FM).

Lewis was artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois) and helped organize Ravinia’s Jazz Mentor Program.

He also served on the board of trustees for the Merit School of Music, a Chicago inner-city music program and The Chicago High School for the Arts, the public arts high school in Chicago established in 2009.

In addition to his wife and son, Lewis is survived by daughters Denise Jeffries and Dawn Allain; two other sons Kendall Kelly Lewis and Frayne Lewis; and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.