R.I.P. Al Jarreau

Mauricio Santana/Getty

R.I.P. Al Jarreau

Mauricio Santana/Getty

Legendary jazz singer Al Jarreau has died, TMZ reports. Just a few days ago, Jarreau announced that he would retire from touring after being hospitalized due to exhaustion. He was 76.

Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1940. His father was a minister and a singer and his mother was a church pianist, and he began singing from an early age. In 1969, after forming a duo with guitarist Julio Martinez, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in jazz, where he was discovered and signed by Warner Bros. Records. His first album, 1975’s We Got By, was a critical and commercial success, and he won the first of seven Grammy Awards in 1977 for his live album Look To The Rainbow.

Jarreau is survived by his wife Susan and his son Ryan. Revisit his work below.

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