Legendary jazz singer Al Jarreau died at a hospital in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 12, days after he was forced to retire from touring due to exhaustion. He was 76.
The seven-time Grammy winner's manager, Joe Gordon, released a statement to Ebony, saying, "Al Jarreau passed away this morning, at about 5:30am L.A. time. He was in the hospital, kept comfortable by [his son] Ryan, [his wife] Susan and a few of his family and friends. Ryan and Susan will hold a small, private service at home, for immediate family only. No public service is planned yet."
The news came just five days after Jarreau announced in a post on his website that he was retiring from touring "due to exhaustion." The statement said he was hospitalized in L.A., where he was "receiving excellent medical care, responding to treatments and improving slowly." Jarreau's medical team advised him not to perform his remaining 2017 tour dates.
"Therefore, with complete sorrow, Al Jarreau must retire from touring," the statement read. "He is thankful for his 50 years of traveling the world in ministry through music, and for everyone who shared this with him — his faithful audience, the dedicated musicians and so many others who supported his effort."
Jarreau was famously the first vocalist in music history to receive Grammy Awards in three separate categories: jazz, pop and R&B. He was best known for singing "We're in This Love Together" (1981) and the theme song from the '80s TV series Moonlighting, which starred Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis.
