On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Rochester Music Hall of Fame (RMHF), we are saddened to hear of the passing of Chuck Mangione. He was one of our Charter Inductees and a member of our inaugural induction class in 2012. His performance that night in April was one of the highlights of the evening, and we believe was one of the last times he performed in the Rochester area.
While Chuck achieved great success and acclaim nationally and internationally, he was always a Rochesterian first, and the impact on the Rochester community runs deep. This was epitomized in one of his remarks during his acceptance speech in ’12. He said that of all the awards he has received, his parents would have been most proud of his induction into the RMHF because it was his hometown celebrating and honoring him. It was pretty clear that night that he felt the same way.
His landmark Friends and Love concert held at the Eastman Theatre on 5/9/1970 featured Chuck (who conducted, composed and arranged all the music) and fellow RMHF inductees Steve Gadd, Don Potter, his brother, Gap, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Tony Levin and lyrics written by RMHF inductee Bat McGrath. The live album released was a huge success, and the recording engineer was another RMHF inductee, Mick Guzauski.
Chuck was a terrific player, one of the first to make the flugelhorn their main instrument. His work as a composer and arranger may have been even greater. His works combined multiple musical genres, based in jazz but contained elements of classical and rock, and just beautiful orchestrations.
Just a couple of weeks ago I listened to his Chase the Clouds Away album, which is my personal favorite. I thought “why don’t I listen to this more often?”
The Rochester community and especially the music community here are all saddened to hear of his passing. However, his music will live on and continue to bring joy to those who listen to it. On my way home from work tonight, I put Chase the Clouds Away on in the car and though sad about his passing, his music warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face.
We will miss you Chuck…
Jack Whittier
President, Board of Directors