Jazz Giant Artie Shaw Dies at Age 94

YAHOO NEWS/REUTERS ^ | 12-30-2004 | Reuters

[Captain Peter Blood]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bandleader and clarinetist Artie Shaw, famed for his recording of "Begin the Beguine" and one of the giants of the swing era of jazz, died on Thursday at age 94, his manager Will Curtis said.

A self-declared perfectionist, Shaw put down the clarinet in 1954 and never played it again, saying he could not reach the level of artistry he desired.

He had been ill for several years, Curtis said.

[Captain Peter Blood]

No doubt one of the all time great musicians of his time and one of the Greatest Clarinet players ever. He will be remembered for all of his great music plus all of the Great & Grand Ladies he romanced and married.

[The Fop]

Born Arthur Warshawsky. In an interview several years back he was asked what he does for fun these days. He replied "there's nothing more enjoyable then a good bowel movement" (I kid you not).

[MaryFromMichigan]

How many of you thought he was already gone?
Show of hands?

[SF Republican]

How many of you thought he was already gone? - not me, he was spotted here in San Francisco last year. BTW he was tons better than Benny Goodman

[MKM1960]

I will always remember Saturday night as a child. After my mother put me to bed> I would always get back up and crack the door, so I could hear the sounds of big band music playing on the stereo and the murmured conversations of their friends. Begin the Beguine was one of my Father's favorites.

[reagandemo]

I remember an interview someone did with him quite a few years ago and he showed the reporter his clarinet. He had turned it into a lamp. One expensive lamp.

[Bertha Fanation]

Super IQ too

[SF Republican]

Super babes too! Ava Gardner

[Steve_Seattle]

The clarinet solo in "Nightmare" is one of my all-time favorites; I also love the arrangement on "Begin the Beguine." Shaw was an interesting fellow; I read his autobiography - he came from nowhere.

[Steve_Seattle]

I knew he was still alive; he released a new compilation of his greatest hits a couple of years ago.

[Zeppo]

Wow... I certainly didn't know that he was still alive... He was from before my time, but I have been listening to a lot of 40's music on a local radio station and on XM Radio, and have liked what I've heard of his stuff...

[Trueredstater]

What's the title? That would be a really cool read.

Also, if you like jazz, read "To Be or Not to Bop" which is Dizzy's autobiography.

[Professional Engineer]

Anyone ask jenb who Artie Shaw was yet?

[nickcarraway]

"You have no idea of the women I didn't marry." Artie Shaw

[StoneColdGOP]

Holy crap, I had no idea he was still alive.

[PMCarey]

Another person who you wouldn't think is still alive is the boxer Max Schmelling.

[StoneColdGOP]

Yup, figured he'd be dead too.

[nkycincinnatikid]

The absolute greatest! From my grandfathers 78 rpm copy of Begin the Beguine, with Indian Love Call on the flip, I was hooked on Big Band era jazz for the rest of my life. I still have that record somewhere in the attic! I can't believe I did not know he was still alive until after he was dead.

[Pharmboy]

Biography for
Artie Shaw

Birth name
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky

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Mini biography
Artie Shaw was the rival of Benny Goodman in the Swing era. With a different style of playing, his sound on clarinet was more liquid than Goodman's sound. After playing in different orchestras in the late twenties and thirties, he formed his own orchestra in 1936 and he added a string quartet to the Big Band. In 1938 he had a famous hit with the recording of the Cole Porter song "Begin the Beguine". After months of success and popularity he disolved his band in 1939. The year after he appeared with a new band.

In the fifties he went into a semi-retirement and wrote two books: "The trouble with cinderella" and "I love you, I hate you, drop dead". His last recordings were in 1954 with a small group with Hank Jones on piano and others. After this he retired from the music scene, except for a brief appearence for a week in the eighties.

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IMDb mini-biography by
Eric Nesich (christyjazz45)

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Spouse
Evelyn Keyes (1957 - present)
Doris Dowling (1952 - 1956) (divorced)
Kathleen Winsor (1946 - 1948) (divorced)
Ava Gardner (17 October 1945 - 25 October 1946) (divorced)
Elizabeth Kern (1942 - ?) (divorced) 1 child
Lana Turner (13 February 1940 - 12 September 1940) (divorced)
Jane Carns (? - ?) (annulled)
Margaret Allen (? - ?) (divorced)

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Trivia
His paintings continue to be shown, at venues like Webster Hall in New York City.

Jazz clarinetist and bandleader.

Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1990.

Was the son-in-law of composer Jerome Kern while married to Kern's daughter Elizabeth

Winner of a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, 2004.

[Mr. Mojo]