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Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Jazz icon Chuck Mangione dead aged 84
Chuck Mangione, the legendary jazz musician behind the international hit single Feels So Good, has died aged 84. Born Charles Frank Mangione in 1940 in Rochester, New York, he died at home of natural causes, his manager told TMZ. He reflected on his approach to music in 1972, saying: 'For a long time I lived in the shell of the so–called jazz musician, who said, 'To hell with the people. I'm the artist, I know what's right, and I'm going to play for myself. If they like it, fine; if they don't, too bad.' 'Well, that's partially true, but you can still maintain your musical conviction and try to communicate with people. 'For me, lifting the people up, making them enjoy what we're doing is as important as it is for me to play the kind of music I want to play. Both are very possible.' A trumpet and flugelhorn player, Mangione studied at Rochester's Eastman School of Music, known for its jazz programme. He began his career in the 1960s performing with his pianist brother, Gap Mangione, and joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers as a trumpeter before emerging as a star in his own right. Chuck's career breakthrough came in the 1970s, when he formed a jazz quartet with saxophonist Gerry Niewood. His 1977 album Feels So Good propelled him to international fame. The album included the full nine-minute version of the instrumental title track, which reached number two on the Billboard 200. A shorter, three-minute single released the following year also became a major success. Over his decades-long career, Chuck won two Grammy Awards. He received his first Grammy in 1977 for the instrumental composition Bellavia and another for his work on the soundtrack of the 1978 Anthony Quinn film The Children of Sanchez, for which he also composed the score. Chuck's compositions featured in two Olympic ceremonies – Chase the Clouds Away at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics and Give It All You Got as the theme for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
5 days ago
- Entertainment
Chuck Mangione, 'Feels So Good' musician and bandleader, dead at 84
Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning jazz bandleader and musician who scored an unlikely top-five hit in 1978 with the jazz instrumental "Feels So Good," has died at age 84, according to a note on his official website. Born in Rochester, New York, on Nov. 29, 1940, Mangione early on performed and recorded as the Mangione Brothers with his sibling, keyboardist Gaspare "Gap" Mangione. After graduating from the prestigious Eastman School of Music in his hometown, he played trumpet with famed bandleader Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers as well as with various other ensembles, including recording the album "Friends & Love…A Chuck Mangione Concert" with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 1970. Mangione's notoriety grew with subsequent recordings of his compositions, including the 1975 RIAA-certified gold album "Chase the Clouds Away," the title track from which was used in coverage of the 1976 Summer Olympics, and the Grammy-winning "Bellavia" in 1977. But it was Mangione's 1977 album "Feels So Good" and its pop radio title track hit that made him a household name. Featuring Mangione playing the flugelhorn and backed by his longtime quartet of guitarist Grant Geissman, bassist Charles Meeks, multi-instrumentalist Chris Vadala and James Bradley Jr. on percussion, the single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, while the album peaked in the No. 2 position on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart – second only to the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever," by the Bee Gees. "Feels So Good" ultimately was RIAA-certified double-platinum for sales of more than two million units. Mangione's follow-up albums included the 1978 gold-selling soundtrack to the Anthony Quinn film "Children of Sanchez," the title track from which earned Mangione his second of two career Grammy Awards. 1979's "Fun and Games," which also was certified gold, featured the single "Give It All You Got," which was used in ABC's coverage of the 1980 Winter Olympics and scored two Grammy nominations; Mangione earned 13 lifetime Grammy nods, including his two wins. Mangione recorded some 30 albums during his career, the last of which was the 2000 release "Everything for Love." His general popularity waned following his 1970s heyday but he remained a pop culture touchstone well into the 2000s, sending up his image with a recurring voice role in the animated TV comedy "King of the Hill," playing an exaggerated version of himself as he appeared on the cover of the "Feels So Good" album.
Mint
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Who was Chuck Mangione? Grammy-winning jazz icon known for ‘Feels So Good' dies at 84
Charles Frank Mangione, the American jazz great who brought the flugelhorn into the popular music spotlight and captivated audiences with hits like 'Feels So Good', died peacefully in his sleep on July 22, 2025, at his home in Rochester, New York. He was 84. His death was confirmed in a statement by his family shared with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle on July 24. Over a six-decade career, Mangione released more than 30 albums, scored multiple Grammy Awards, and carved a unique space in the American jazz landscape. Born on November 29, 1940, to Italian-American parents in Rochester, Mangione studied at the prestigious Eastman School of Music and went on to perform with jazz legends, most notably filling the trumpet chair in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers — a position once held by Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard. Alongside his pianist brother, Gap, he co-led the Mangione Brothers Sextet/Quintet, recording three albums for Riverside Records in the early 1960s. One of their original compositions, 'Something Different,' caught the attention of alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, who included it in his 1961 album African Waltz. Mangione broke into mainstream success in 1978 with 'Feels So Good', a breezy, horn-driven instrumental that became a rare jazz-pop crossover hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song helped define a generation of smooth jazz, its signature melody recognized instantly across genres. He also composed iconic Olympic music, including 'Chase the Clouds Away' for the 1976 Montreal Summer Games and 'Give It All You Got' for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid — the latter performed live at the closing ceremony and broadcast worldwide. Mangione's work was frequently honored. He won his first Grammy Award in 1977 for 'Bellavia' in the Best Instrumental Composition category. His second Grammy came two years later for the soundtrack to The Children of Sanchez, which featured sweeping compositions and emotional depth — the title track alone ran nearly 15 minutes. His bands featured top-tier musicians such as saxophonists Gerry Niewood and Chris Vadala, guitarist Grant Geissman, and drummer James Bradley Jr. In 1978, Mangione performed to a sold-out Hollywood Bowl backed by a 70-piece orchestra — a concert immortalized in his live album An Evening of Magic. Beyond the stage, Mangione used his music for charitable causes. In 1980, he organised a nine-hour benefit concert to aid Italian earthquake victims, bringing together stars like Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie. His later Tarantella album captured highlights from that performance. At his 60th birthday concert, he raised over $50,000 for St. John's Nursing Home in Rochester. Mangione was also a pop culture fixture. He made TV appearances, including Magnum, P.I., Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show, and most famously, played a recurring animated version of himself on King of the Hill as Mega Lo Mart's celebrity spokesman — a role that earned him a new generation of fans. His 2000 album Everything For Love included a track titled 'Peggy Hill' in tribute to the show.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chuck Mangione, Jazz Musician Whose ‘Feels So Good' Stormed the Pop Top 10 in the Late '70s, Dies at 84
Jazz musician Chuck Mangione, who had one of the biggest pop-jazz instrumental crossover hits of all time with 'Feels So Good' in the 1970s, died Tuesday at age 84. The death was reported by multiple news outlets out of his native Rochester, NY. The city's WROC-TV reported that the Bartolomeo & Perreto Funeral Home said the musician died in his sleep at home on Tuesday. The flugelhorn and trumpet player won two Grammys, out of 14 nominations, in a career that spanned 30 albums. Beyond his musical success, the musician was also familiar to millions for his recurring voice role on the animated series 'King of the Hill.' A ubiquitous hit in 1978, 'Feels So Good' reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammys. That success led to Mangione being commissioned to write and perform 'Give it All You Got,' the theme song for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. On 'King of the Hill,' he played himself, as a celebrity pitchman for the fictional Mega Lo Mart, and was portrayed wearing an outfit that was familiar to many from the cover for the hit album 'Feels So Good.' Mangione was born in Rochester on Nov. 29, 1940. He starting music lessons at age 8, starting out on piano but switching instruments after seeing the film 'Young Man With a Horn.' He formed his first jazz band while he was in high school, along with his pianist brother, Gap. He graduated in 1963 from the Eastman School of Music, where he later came back as a teacher and the director of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble. Mangione's parents were jazz buffs who would often invite the stars of the genre over to dinner in their home, including Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae and Art Blakey — whose Jazz Messengers group he would later join, establishing his serious chops. He was also a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and the group the National Gallery. With his brother Gap, he was part of the act the Jazz Brothers, who released three albums in 1960-61. Mangione's solo career took off with the 1970 album 'Friends & Love… A Chuck Mangione Concert,' which was nominated for a 1971. The first of his releases on the Mercury label, it was recorded at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester. A single from the album, 'Hill Where the Lord Hides,' marked his first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. He moved to A&M with the 'Chase the Clouds Away' album in 1975. The title song was used at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He won his first Grammy for 'Bellavia,' a 1976 album, and his second for the 'Children of Sanchez' soundtrack, which also earned him a 1978 Golden Globe nomination. 'Feels So Good' was released as a single in December 1977, soon topping Billboard's adult contemporary chart and making it to No. 4 on the Hot 100. The album version clocked in at 9 minutes and 42 seconds and required what he called 'major surgery' to be cut down to 3:31 for radio and single release purposes. The 'Feels So Good' album was a smash in its own right, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, held back only by the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack. He released nine albums for A&M between 1975-82, thereafter switching to Columbia for his next five releases before forming his own Feels So Good imprint in the late 1980s. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
70s jazz musician Chuck Mangione dies aged 84
Chuck Mangione, best known for his hit song Feels So Good, has died aged 84. The American musician, who was a composer and also played the flugelhorn and trumpet, rose to fame as part of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, before leading the Jazz Brothers with his brother, Gap. But it was in 1978 that he achieved worldwide fame with the release of his jazz-pop single, which reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. It's now been reported that Mangione died this week, with outlets in his native Rochester, New York referencing a funeral home notice that also revealed he died in his sleep at home on Tuesday. Born in Rochester in 1940 to Italian parents, Mangione started music lessons aged eight and formed his first jazz band while still in high school, which included his brother. He attended the Eastman School of Music from 1958 to 1963 before joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the late 1960s, Mangione went on to become a member of the band The National Gallery and also served as director of the Eastman jazz ensemble from 1968 to 1972. He won his first Grammy Award in 1977 in the best instrumental composition category. His work on the soundtrack for the 1978 film The Children of Sanchez then won him his second Grammy – for the best pop instrumental performance. Two of his compositions were also used as themes at Olympic Games – Chase the Clouds Away at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec and Give It All You Got at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. Following the success of Feels So Good, which initially ran for a mammoth 9 minutes and 42 seconds, Mangione and his band featured with a 70-piece orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl in 1978. Aside from music, Mangione also appeared in TV shows including Magnum, P.I. and King of the Hill. More Trending In 2009 the musician faced tragedy when two members of his band – Gerry Niewood and Coleman Mellett – were among the 49 passengers killed when Continental Airlines Flight 3407 crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York. In a statement Mangione said: 'I'm in shock over the horrible, heartbreaking tragedy.' Across his career Mangione released 30 albums and was nominated for a total of 14 Grammys. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Hulk Hogan leaves behind legacy as controversial but undeniable WWE icon MORE: Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71 'after suffering cardiac arrest' MORE: Coronation Street and Emmerdale star Tony Peers dies aged 78
