[Dixielandjazz] RONNIE DUPONT FOUND DEAD IN HIS APARTMENT

[Charles Suhor]

The message below came yesterday from Eddie Bayard via Jimmy Larocca. Pianist Ronnie Dupont was best known nationally as the longtime pianist with Al Hirt in the 60s and locally as leader of a terrific quartet at the Bistro on Canal St. near Tulane Avenue, with vocalists Tony Page and Betty Farmer (who declined offers to work with Duke Ellington because she loved combo work; she died, tragically, while working a day gig at one of the twin towers on 9/11). 

Ronnie was part of the age-alike, loosely knit group of young modernists who came up jamming and gigging together in the mid to late 1950s—among them, Buddy Prima, Bill Huntington, Reed Vaughan, Alan Hermann, Milton Bourgeois, Al Bernard, Bruce Ahrens, Larry Muhoberac, Theresa Kelly, Charlie May, Cy “Deedles” Arnold, Charlie Miller, and myself. We were junior to Al Belletto and the French Quarter coterie that included players like Mouse Bonati, my brother Don Suhor, Chick Power, Mike Serpas, Benny Clement, and other earlier bebop pioneers. An article on Benny will be the forthcoming issue of the Jazz Archivist.

Sympathies to the Dupont family. And rest in peace, Ronnie.

Charlie


>> Begin forwarded message:
>> From: JIMMY LAROCCA <jimmy756 at msn.com <mailto:jimmy756 at msn.com>>
>> Subject: RONNIE DUPONT FOUND DEAD IN HIS APARTMENT
>> Date: November 7, 2015 at 7:25:07 AM CST
>> 
>> To all his friends,
>> 
>> I got a call tonight about 8:30 pm from Tony Page, 
>> long time friend and roommate of Ronnie Dupont  in Dallas, Tx.
>> Tony said he went to check on Ronnie but couldn't 
>> get in and  got no response trying to call him or ringing the doorbell.
>> The police came and got in and found Ronnie dead. 
>> Tony said he called Ronnie's daughter Denese and 
>> she will be coming to Dallas this week end.
>> An autopsy will be performed to find out what killed him 
>> and how long he was dead before getting in his room.
>> Please pass the word to all of his friends and musicians 
>> who knew him. I'm sure we will get a complete obit soon.
>> 
>> 
>> RIP Ronnie !
>>  
>> Eddie Bayard
>