LAS VEGAS (AP) — Blues musician Melvin Jackson, who played with legends B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland has died. He was 79.
His niece Valerie Jordan says Jackson died at a hospice facility in Las Vegas after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The trumpeter and saxophone player started performing as a child with his father, who was also a musician.
Drummer Tony Coleman, who worked with Jackson for years as a member of King’s band, says Jackson was a consummate professional and an excellent musician. Jackson performed with Bland and King for decades, traveling to more than 90 countries and only quit performing this September. His family says he practiced every day.
Jackson was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1935. He is survived by three daughters.
