Ramsey Lewis

Lewis performing at JazzFe 2006

Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. was born on May 27, 1935, in Chicago[2][1] to Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis and Pauline Lewis, both transplants from the Deep South. His father was a church choir director and Lewis felt that his father influenced him to study music. When it was decided that his older sister, Lucille, would take piano lessons and not Ramsey also (because their father felt he could only afford lessons for one child), Ramsey threw a fit. His father relented and somehow found the money. Thus, Lewis began taking piano lessons at the age of four with Ernestine Bruce, the church pianist and organist. When Lewis was 11, Bruce suggested he study with Dorothy Mendelssohn at the Chicago Musical College. Mendelssohn taught him classical technique with the philosophy that "it freed the performer from the thinking about the notes so he could concentrate on the music." Lewis realized what she meant when he saw Wynton Kelly with the Miles Davis group, Kelly asked him to play something, and Kelly complimented him by saying "Boy, I wish I had technique."[3]

As a young man, Lewis played with a number of local ensembles, such as Edward Virgil Abner's Knights of Music.[4] Lewis would eventually join a jazz group called the clefs. He later formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio with drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young.[1] They eventually signed to Chess Records.[5]

In 1956, the trio released their debut album, Ramsey Lewis and his Gentle-men of Swing.[6]

Following their 1965 hit, "The 'In' Crowd" (the single reached No. 5 on the pop charts, and the album No. 2), they concentrated more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form Young-Holt Unlimited and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White.[1] White left to form Earth, Wind & Fire and was replaced by Morris Jennings in 1970. Later, Frankie Donaldson and Bill Dickens replaced Jennings and Eaton; Felton Crews also appeared on Lewis' 1981 album Three Piece Suite.[7]

By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation's most successful jazz pianists, having had hits with "The In Crowd", "Hang On Sloopy",[8] and "Wade in the Water." All three singles each sold over one million copies and were awarded gold discs.[9] In the 1970s, Lewis often played electric piano, although by later in the decade he was sticking to acoustic piano and using an additional keyboardist in his groups.[10]

In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosted the weekly syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, created in 1990, syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks.[11] He also hosted the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on Chicago "smooth jazz" radio station WNUA (95.5 FM). In December 2006, this morning show became part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other smooth jazz stations across the country until its cancellation in May 2009, when WNUA switched over to a Spanish format.[12]

Ramsey founded the Ramsey Lewis Foundation, which promoted musical instrument education to children, in 2005.[13]

In 2006, a well-received 13-episode Legends of Jazz television series hosted by Lewis was broadcast on public TV nationwide and featured live performances by a variety of jazz artists including Larry Gray, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joey Defrancesco, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Kurt Elling, Benny Golson, Pat Metheny, and Tony Bennett.[14]

Lewis was artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois) and helped organize Ravinia's Jazz Mentor Program.[15] Ramsey also served on the board of trustees for the Merit School of Music and The Chicago High School for the Arts.[16]

Lewis was an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.[17] In May 2008, Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Chicago upon delivering the keynote address at the undergraduate commencement ceremony.[18]

In January 2007, the Dave Brubeck Institute invited Lewis to join its Honorary Board of Friends at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.[19] Lewis was an Honorary Board member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra.[18]

Lewis died in his sleep at his home in Chicago, on September 12, 2022, at age 87.[20][21][2][22]

• Official website
• Ramsey Lewis at AllMusic
• Ramsey Lewis discography at Discogs
• Ramsey Lewis at IMDb 
• PBS – Legends of Jazz (TV)
• Ramsey Lewis interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' March 2010
• Interview, About.com
• Ramsey's Rhythms
• Jazz Monthly Feature Interview: Ramsey Lewis
• Legends of Jazz podcasts Archived October 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  • Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis (radio) at WDCB
• Ramsey Lewis Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2017)