mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (09/17/85)
> > can anyone substantiate Marcel's rumor.....is Philly Joe Jones dead??? > If anyone knows please post a note..... Regrettably, the rumor is true. Philly Joe Jones died of the consequences of a throat operation. He was 62. The confusion stemmed from the fact that Jo Jones (Papa Jo), the "man who played like the wind", died four days before Philly. He was 73. The official report says pneumonia, but it seems Jo just got tired of battling. He had been ill for several years, his last stage appearance coming at the 1984 Kool Festival, when he played ten minutes. He was but a shadow of himself. Old Time, he has sharp teeth, and he bites the best as well as the rest. This one is a doubly tough loss. These were two brilliant Masters of Time, as well as classy gentlemen. Their passing further thins out the ranks of giants who are still with us. Marcel Simon