Who was Dr. Lonnie Smith? Tributes pour in as acclaimed organist passes away at 79

On September 28, famed American jazz Hammond organist Dr. Lonnie Smith passed away at the age of 79. The musician was deemed by many to be one of the instrumentalists to have popularized the Hammond organ.

A tweet from Blue Note Records first reported the news of Dr. Lonnie Smith's death. In a press release, the label further mentioned that Smith died at his residence at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The cause of the jazz organist's death was pulmonary fibrosis.

Blue Note President Don Was said:

"Doc was a musical genius who possessed a deep, funky groove and a wry, playful spirit. His mastery of the drawbars was equalled only by the warmth in his heart."

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Who was Dr. Lonnie Smith? The jazz Hammond organist's legacy explored

Lonnie Smith (aka Dr. Lonnie Smith or just Doc, amongst close friends) was the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master for his prowess over the Hammond organ. Smith was born in Lackawanna (near Buffalo), New York, on July 3, 1942.

According to Billboard, Smith's mother had influenced his musical interests by introducing him to gospel, classical, and jazz music. Dr. Lonnie Smith had also previously mentioned that his family had a vocal group and radio program.

Dr. Lonnie Smith started playing Hammond organ in his teens and listened to jazz artists like Wild Bill Davis, Bill Doggett, and Jimmy Smith. In the 1950s, he was part of several musical groups, including one with famed Jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.

According to Blue Note, the Buffalo native first got the opportunity to perform at a local club called Pine Grill. It was here that he caught the attention of Lou Donaldson, Jack McDuff, and George Benson. In 1966, Doc would join the George Benson Quartet.

He recorded his first solo studio album titled Finger-Lickin' Good in 1967. Throughout his career, Dr. Lonnie Smith recorded around 30 studio albums produced by himself.

Doc joined Blue Note Records in 1967 when he contributed to the Alligator Boogaloo album with Lou Donaldson's band. This began his relationship with the label.

Smith made four albums with Blue Note Records before leaving the label in 1970 and rejoining in 2015. In 2016, he released his album titled Evolution, followed by All in My Mind in 2018, and his final album Breathe earlier this year.

The Hammond organ artist toured the US extensively in the 1970s. Furthermore, he has won the "Organ Keyboardist of the Year" from Jazz Journalist Association in 2003 to 2005, 2008 to 2011, 2013, and 2014.