Charles Thomas (8)

A Memphis born jazz pianist who was widely respected by younger up and coming artists, including Harold Mabern, James Williams, Mulgrew Miller and many others, Charles Thomas shunned the national spotlight for the most part, preferring to play in his home town. He briefly toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra as its pianist after Ellington's death in 1974, but found that too restrictive, as he wanted to play his own music. Thomas didn't record much until very late his life, as he was invited to appear with some of the pianists he influenced on Japanese releases for DIW (including Memphis Convention and memphis Piano Convetion) and making several CDs for the French label Space Time. He died in Little Rock Arkansas on November 23, 1999 after a battle with prostate cancer.