Ben-Tucker-Obituary

Ben Tucker

Obituaries

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Musician Ben Tucker performed with stars from Quincy Jones to Peggy Lee before he settled in the 1970s in Savannah, where the jazz bassist became one of the Georgia city's best-known working musicians.

He was killed in a car crash Tuesday at age 82.

Tucker was driving a golf cart across a road on Hutchinson Island when a car slammed into him at high speed, said Savannah-Chatham County police spokesman Julian Miller. Tucker was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The driver of the car that struck him was charged with vehicular homicide and other criminal counts.

The news stunned musicians and jazz enthusiasts in Savannah, where Tucker had been a musical fixture for roughly four decades. Tucker made his living playing upright bass - an instrument he'd named Bertha and claimed was 240 years old - in all sorts of settings from jazz festivals to wedding receptions, from nightclub gigs to bar mitzvahs.

"One of the most interesting things about playing with Ben was he was so beloved by so many people in Savannah who had met him at his club or whose weddings he had played," said Howard Paul, a jazz guitarist and president/CEO of Benedetto Guitars who played and recorded with Tucker for more than 20 years. "You could count on being interrupted at least three times in a song because Savannahians would walk up and shake his hand while we were playing."

Before he moved to the Georgia coast, Tucker had some success as a songwriter - perhaps most notably with "Comin' Home Baby," a song co-written with jazz vocalist Bob Dorough, which was recorded by Mel Torme, Herbie Mann and more recently Michael Buble. By the end of the 1960s, he had toured with Lee and performed and recorded with jazz greats such as Dexter Gordon, Buddy Rich and Jones.

Paul was a young Army lieutenant scheduled to deploy to Operation Desert Storm when he arrived in Savannah 22 years ago. A friend sent him to a nightc lub Tucker operated at the time, and the bassist invited him on stage to play that night and all week.

"He was on the music scene for so many years and performed with many of the greatest names in jazz, yet he spent so much time with local musicians and children as well," Paul said. "I think he grew up in an era of jazz musicians where they felt obligated to give back."

The Savannah Morning News reported Tucker was also a former owner of radio stations WSOK-AM and WLVH-FM.

Police said the crash that killed Tucker, who was also an avid golfer, remained under investigation. The driver of the car that hit Tucker's golf cart, identified as 52-year-old Robert William Martin of Spicewood, Texas, was being held without bond in the Chatham County jail on charges of vehicular homicide, racing and reckless driving. It was not immediately known Tuesday if Martin had an attorney.

Julius "Boo" Hornstein, a Savannah psychotherapist and jazz writer, befriended Tucker and worked with him for years in the Coastal Jazz Association, which organizes the Savannah Jazz Festival.

Hornstein said Tucker took excellent care of himself for a man in his 80s and kept a steady gig playing Sunday brunch at a Savannah hotel, where he had been scheduled to perform the night of his death.

"He was a working musician right to the end," Hornstein said. "He was so instrumental in the music life of Savannah."

RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press


Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Dear Ben, We all miss you every day but are grateful for the way you enriched our lives. This photo was taken at our house when we had a party for all of the Jazz musicians in Savannah.

Legends follow this man! RIP

Every time I cross the bridge into Savannah, I think of you and how much we enjoyed your music and your friendship

Ben. You were on my mind today. I miss you.

He was a great musician.

Mr. Tucker,

It was truly my pleasure to hear you and your guests play over the years. From the Desoto Hilton to The Pirate's House, to the Westin. As a student at Savannah State, I used to actually study to your play. Some how it made Accounting, Tax, and an assortment of other classes make sense. Along with a few cocktails. Because of you, I began to take music seriously and traditional jazz became my favorite medium of expression. Take care Chief. Keep on playing.

Gloria,
Paul and I just learned the sad news of your loss. You and Ben gave us a precious memories. The day we spent on a beach in Barbados, Ben's golf advice for Paul and the Fish Fry at Plumtree and of course the wonderful music at The Waterfront Restaurant on the island. We will keep you in our hearts. Carole and Paul Johnson,Bath,Maine

We have lost a beautiful man. Peace be with you in this moment of mourning and grief.

Bob friedman