NEW ORLEANS(WGNO) – Jazz legend Pete Fountain died Saturday morning in New Orleans. He was 86 years old.
“It’s a sad day for his family. And it’s sad for all New Orleans. Pete and his clarinet brought a lot of love and music to the world. He will greatly be missed,” said Benny Harrell, Fountain’s son-in-law and manager.
Funeral arrangements with a traditional New Orleans second line to follow.
Pete Fountain and his group Pete Fountain’s Half Fast Walking Club make their way along St. Charles Avenue during the Mardi Gras parade on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, LA, March 8, 2011. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the final day of Carnival, and the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It’s been celebrated in Louisiana since the late 17th century when it was under French colonial rule. AFP PHOTO / ROD LAMKEY JR (Photo credit should read ROD LAMKEY JR/AFP/Getty Images)
