Ernie Andrews, a legendary jazz singer, has died. He was 94.
Andrews' family first unfolded the tragic news to Billboard, saying that the jazz and blues singer passed away on Monday.
Ernie Andrews' cause of death was not disclosed. But it has been revealed that he passed away in a hospital in Conroe, Texas. His family reportedly rushed him to the medical facility after suffering a broken hip from a fall.
The bereaved family is yet to release his funeral details. The singer's fans, on the other hand, took their chances to send heartfelt messages to Andrews and his family as they remembered memories they had with him.
One said, "Alas, another one of our Music Masters has joined the Great Big Band in the Sky. R.I.P. to the great vocalist Ernie Andrews. Thanks for sharing your great gift with us and the world."
"when i was in high school, i remember trying to go see joe williams at @Jazz_Alley who had to cancel at the last minute because he suddenly fell ill. his sub for that run was ernie andrews, who led me to a deep and long lasting love with this art form. rest in power, sir," jazz singer Sara Gazarek penned.
Ernie Andrews' Legacy
Before rising to fame, Andrews first established his empire in music by singing in a Baptist church. He continued to serve them even after his family moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles.
He tried his luck in an amateur show in Los Angeles during his teenage years. He won at that time and even caught Joe Greene's attention. From there, he started making his first hit record, "Soothe Me," and released it in 1945 when he was just 17.
The contemporary issues of Billboard reported that the album became one of the best-selling records that year after selling 300,000 copies.
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Aside from Greene, he also impressed Harry James Orchestra that he was tapped to become part of them for several years.
"Harry stood behind me during racism," Andrews told the Los Angeles Times in an interview in 2014. "A lot of hotels would want to put me in a different hotel, and he wouldn't allow that."
Though his popularity stopped for years, he returned to the spotlight when Lois Shelton released the documentary "Ernie Andrews: Blues for Central Avenue" in 1986.
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