Legendary Jazz Musician Wayne Shorter Dies at 89 — Details

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PUBLISHED Mar. 2 2023, 4:58 p.m. ET

UPDATED Mar. 2 2023, 4:58 p.m. ET

Wayne Shorter
Source: Getty Images

Grammy-winning saxophonist and jazz composer Wayne Shorter, who was known for his innovative musical stylings, has died at 89, according to a statement from his publicist via CNN. During his career, Wayne was nominated for 23 Grammy Awards and won a total of 12 times.

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What was Wayne Shorter's cause of death? Read on for everything we know about the life and death of a musical innovator.

Wayne Shorter
Source: Getty Images
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What was Wayne Shorter's cause of death?

In a statement from Cem Kurosman, Wayne's publicist with Blue Note Records, a cause of death was not given. Wayne died on March 2, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Wayne's passion for music began at a young age. According to his biography on Blue Note, he began playing the clarinet at age 16 before switching to the tenor saxophone during college. He attended New York University in 1952 and graduated in 1956 with a degree in music education.

Following his graduation from college, Wayne played alongside jazz pianist Horace Silver during his two years in the U.S. Army.

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Wayne Shorter
Source: Getty Images

During the majority of his career in the late '50s until the '80s, Wayne collaborated with many fellow jazz artists and groups. Notably, he worked with jazz trumpeter Miles Davis for his Second Great Quintet band. He later co-founded a group known as Weather Report alongside Joe Zawinul and Art Blakey. Wayne won his first Grammy Award in 1973, and his most recent win was in 2022.

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During the late '90s and early 2000s, Wayne collaborated with many rock 'n' roll groups, including Carlos Santana and the Rolling Stones. He received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee School of music in 1999 alongside David Bowie.

He later received an honorary doctorate from NYU in 2010 and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2015.

Per CNN, Wayne is survived by his wife, Carolina; his daughters Miyako and Mariana; and his newborn grandson Max.

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