Pete Jolly, Lady Byron Die

Jazz keyboardist Pete Jolly died Saturday Nov. 6 in Pasidena, Calif. of complications of bone marrow cancer and an irregular heartbeat. He was 72. Jolly was a regular on the Southern California jazz scene for 40 years, and recorded more than 20 albums over the span of his career. Jolly also played on the soundtracks to numerous films and television shows, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, M*A*S*H, Dallas, I Spy, Mannix and The Love Boat. Jolly was nominated for a Grammy in 1963 for his composition Little Bird.

Pianist Lady Byron also died last week, on Sunday Nov. 1. Byron, a native of Washington, D.C., was part of the East Coast Jazz Fesival for many years and considered a “virtuoso” on the Hammond B3 organ.

Originally Published November 11, 2004