[Dixielandjazz] I'm getting sick of having to tell you that another fineplayer has died

[Will Connelly]

For the second time in two weeks, it's my sad duty to let jazz lovers 
know that another friend and marvelous musician has died.
.
This time it's Eddie Stapleton, a Chicago-area origins piano and bass 
player.

Eddie was during the peak years, when overdubbed multi part music became 
possible with the advent of the Ampex tape recorder, the bassist for Les 
Paul and Mary Ford. He played with Benny Goodman in New York. In 
Florida, he mostly worked as a piano single in  high priced watering 
holes around Boca Raton , but also worked with bassist Ray Carle and 
drummer Jimmy Burney in  my River Liffey Saloon Jazz Band  for year. As 
would be expected of a man who had the bass job, his knowledge and 
choices of chords as a piano man were terrific and he swung.

But the most important thing about Eddie was that he was a helluva nice 
guy, a warm, generous, funny and  caring person who always say and 
brought out the best in people.

In May, Eddie worked a one nighter with my Roaring Tusker Jazz Band. He 
was wearing a large, flesh covered bandage on his forehead, having 
recently had surgery for a cancer that had earlier afflicted his nose. 
He assured me that "they got it all" and that he was fine. They lied. 
Pianist Dave Williams, who broke the news to me when I called him about 
Harry Epp, said that the cancer appeared to have spread to his brain and 
that it killed him in a few weeks.

I have no more details on arrangements at this time, but will publish 
them as soon as I have word.

Eddie was a good pal, and I'm going to miss him, as will South Florida 
music and who were privileged to play with him at meetings of the Hot 
Jazz and Alligator Gumbo Society, in which he was an early and active 
member.

With huge regrets, I am

Kindly,
Will Connelly