10/11/11

Pianist Bess Bonnier Dies at 83

Known mainly to Detroit-area audiences

By Jeff Tamarkin

Detroit pianist Bess Bonnier died Oct. 6 in Grosse Pointe, Mich., at age 83. The cause of death has not been determined as of yet. According to obituaries published in the Detroit area, Bonnier, who was blind from birth, was known mostly to Michigan jazz fans as she was a divorced mother of three and chose to stay in that area. She first recorded in 1958 for the Chicago-based Argo label and continued to record sporadically, mostly for local labels, throughout her career.