Eric Dolphy - heart attack?

[GA Russell]

I usually am not interested in the cause of death of a musician. My curiosity doesn't run in that direction.

But I see in his Rifftides blog today that Doug Ramsey says, "Mingus wrote the blues "So Long Eric" to wish Dolphy godspeed. Dolphy was to leave the group following the European tour. He and the others could not have known that in three months their astonishingly gifted colleague would be dead at thirty-six of a heart attack brought on by diabetes."

I've read countless times that Dolphy died of a brain tumor. But I trust Ramsey more than any other jazz writer, and I doubt that he would be mistaken.

Has anyone read before about a heart attack? Surely you have seen references to a brain tumor like I have.

[brownie]

There have been numerous mentions of Dolphy dying of a heart attack caused by diabetes disorders.

The brain tumor death version was originated by Charles Mingus. Not a very reliable source for accounts accuracy!

From the Wikipedia page on Eric Dolphy:

After Out to Lunch and an appearance as a sideman on Andrew Hill's Point of Departure, Dolphy left to tour Europe with Charles Mingus' sextet in early 1964. From there he intended to settle in Europe with his fiancée, who was working on the ballet scene in Paris. After leaving Mingus, he performed with and recorded a few sides with various European bands and was preparing to join Albert Ayler for a recording.

On the evening of June 28, 1964, Dolphy collapsed on the streets of Berlin and was brought to a hospital. The attending hospital physicians, who had no idea that Dolphy was a diabetic, thought that he (like so many other jazz musicians) had overdosed on drugs, so they left him to lie in a hospital bed until the "drugs" had run their course.[citation needed] Making the event all the more tragic was the fact that Dolphy had eschewed drugs and alcohol his entire life.

The notes to the Prestige 9-disc set say he "collapsed in his hotel room and when brought to the hospital he was diagnosed as being in a diabetic coma. After being administered a shot of insulin (apparently a type stronger than what was then available in the US) he lapsed into insulin shock and died."

Dolphy would die the next day in a diabetic coma, leaving a short but tremendous legacy in the jazz world. He was quickly honored with his induction into the Down Beat magazine Hall of Fame. Coltrane paid tribute to Dolphy in an interview: "Whatever I'd say would be an understatement. I can only say my life was made much better by knowing him. He was one of the greatest people I've ever known, as a man, a friend, and a musician." Dolphy's mother, who claimed she was haunted by the memory of Dolphy practicing in her garage, gave his instruments to Coltrane. Coltrane subsequently played the flute and bass clarinet on several albums before his death in 1967.

Edited August 25, 2007 by brownie

[sidewinder]

Once spoke with a guy at a gig in the LA area who claimed to own the Dolphy house (this was about 10 years ago) plus one of the bass clarinets (or was it a flute?) which was found at the house. Couldn't substantiate it.

Edited August 25, 2007 by sidewinder

[GA Russell]

Thanks brownie!

[Ken Dryden]

I recall reading in a biography that Dolphy's parents gave his flute to John Coltrane. Was there also something posted about a proposed Dolphy museum (to be located in their former family home) published somewhere?

[bigtiny]

Nobody has ever really substantiated the cause of Dolphy's death beyond saying that it was linked to Diabetes. There have also been reports that he wandered around in a confused state for a couple of days, then received substandard care in a German hospital. Those charges have never been fully explained, and I suppose they never will be.

bigtiny

[Adam]

  brownie said:

There have been numerous mentions of Dolphy dying of a heart attack caused by diabetes disorders.

The brain tumor death version was originated by Charles Mingus. Not a very reliable source for accounts accuracy!

From the Wikipedia page on Eric Dolphy:

After Out to Lunch and an appearance as a sideman on Andrew Hill's Point of Departure, Dolphy left to tour Europe with Charles Mingus' sextet in early 1964. From there he intended to settle in Europe with his fiancée, who was working on the ballet scene in Paris. After leaving Mingus, he performed with and recorded a few sides with various European bands and was preparing to join Albert Ayler for a recording.

On the evening of June 28, 1964, Dolphy collapsed on the streets of Berlin and was brought to a hospital. The attending hospital physicians, who had no idea that Dolphy was a diabetic, thought that he (like so many other jazz musicians) had overdosed on drugs, so they left him to lie in a hospital bed until the "drugs" had run their course.[citation needed] Making the event all the more tragic was the fact that Dolphy had eschewed drugs and alcohol his entire life.

The notes to the Prestige 9-disc set say he "collapsed in his hotel room and when brought to the hospital he was diagnosed as being in a diabetic coma. After being administered a shot of insulin (apparently a type stronger than what was then available in the US) he lapsed into insulin shock and died."

Dolphy would die the next day in a diabetic coma, leaving a short but tremendous legacy in the jazz world. He was quickly honored with his induction into the Down Beat magazine Hall of Fame. Coltrane paid tribute to Dolphy in an interview: "Whatever I'd say would be an understatement. I can only say my life was made much better by knowing him. He was one of the greatest people I've ever known, as a man, a friend, and a musician." Dolphy's mother, who claimed she was haunted by the memory of Dolphy practicing in her garage, gave his instruments to Coltrane. Coltrane subsequently played the flute and bass clarinet on several albums before his death in 1967.

Wikipedia is also not a failsafe source, as anyone can add anything to any page.

[AllenLowe]

actually that's almost exactly what Jaki Byard told me many years ago - he was observing that the Europeans racial attitudes were not necessarily so advanced, and pointed out that they assumed, in Jaki's words, that Dolphy was "just another black junkie,"and that Dolphy died because of it.

[Nate Dorward]

Talk to Phil Minton. He told me about his (I think it was, i.e. first-hand) encounter some years ago with the doctor who misdiagnosed Dolphy (who was racked with guilt for this mistake ever afterwards).

I'm relying on memories of a conversation from 2002 at Freedom of the City so I may be a little blurry on this, but if anyone happens to run into Minton he may be able to fill in the details.

[clifford_thornton]

Prince Lasha told me he was thought to be a junkie, and they took away his insulin needles because they thought they were for smack, leading to the fiasco that killed him.

[Spontooneous]

I thought he got punched out by Art Blakey.

[B. Clugston]

Most sources I've read say Dolphy died of a heart attack related to diabetes.

I read somewhere that Dolphy's parents gave Eric's bass clarinet to Coltrane. Can't remember the source, but will post once I do.

[mikeweil]

  AllenLowe said:

actually that's almost exactly what Jaki Byard told me many years ago - he was observing that the Europeans racial attitudes were not necessarily so advanced ....

I'm ashamed to admit that Jaki is right. The recent attacks on non-Europeans are embarrassing.

[AllenLowe]

apparently there is some dissent about the Europeans (and there's nothing to be ashamed about, Mike; it just shows that bigotry knows no boundaries) - I did, however, get the following email that makes a cogent argument for the other side:

" 'not so advanced' what are you -insane. why were they all moving over

here??? to get away from your horrible segregation - u numb nut

-Robert Hancock "

a formerly silent member of the forum?

Edited August 29, 2007 by AllenLowe

[AllenLowe]

ROBERT HANCOCK WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?

[JSngry]

http://www.google.com/search?lr=&ie=UT...OBERT%20HANCOCK

[Big Beat Steve]

Trying to find some rational explanation to some aspects mentioned here:

No doubt a great many black American jazzmen moved to Europe after 1945 or in the 50s to escape racial problems back in the States. Many of these had found they were held in great awe and respected as artists wherever they went in jazz circles in Europe, i.e. among promoters, journalists, fans, club owners, etc. Quite different from what many of them probably had experienced back home in everyday life where racial barriers must have been more prominent even outside the South, even in their work as musicians.

In Europe (France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, etc.), on the other had, they were regarded as artists and stars (and some sort of "Crow Jim" attitude prevalent among certain fans certainly helped too) and were usually treated with great respect.

However, this concerned the fields of everyday life these musicians usually moved within.

No doubt less friendly feelings may have existed elsewhere in European society, or maybe indifference or ignorance, but these musicans were not really exposed to it in everyday life so may not usually have perceived it as such. And this ignorance or inability to distinguish between somebody needing insulin injections and some junkie trying to get a fix (and after all a lot of musicians were junkies indeed so this picture may have been somewhat difficult to avoid by those who otherwise did not get into touch with jazz but just had read about these things in the gossip press) may have led to what happened in Eric Dolphy's case. Inexcusable in the case of a doctor, but do we know all the details of the actual circumstances?