- Joey DeFrancesco was an American artist who lived for 51 years from April 10, 1971, to August 25, 2022
- The jazz organist and saxophonist was a 4-time Grammy Award nominee from a professional career that started in the 1980s
- The member of the Hammond Hall of Fame with a net worth above $1 million inspired his only child to go into music
Joey DeFrancesco led a life as a highly established jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and keyboardist who also sang. In his career that professionally lasted 4 decades until his death in 2022 at 51, he released over 30 albums, recorded several other songs, and toured countries.
Although the American musician was born into a family of famous musicians, he did not live in the shadows of their fame. Instead, he broke walls until he became one of the best. He was a Hall of farmer and received several awards.
Summary of Joey DeFrancesco’s Bio
Biography of the Music Act
Joey DeFrancesco was born into a family of musicians on April 10, 1971, in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He has a musician older brother, Johhny DeFrancesco.
Growing up with John Jasper DeFrancesco as his father, he got exposure to music and would ask questions. By the time he was 4, he became interested in playing and asked his father a lot of questions about the aspect of music.
His practice became frequent at a tender age and his parents would encourage him to go out to ride a bike.
His constant practice led to his performing alongside his father. Although some sources claimed that his father let him play live with him at the age of 5, in an interview, he reported that he was 7 when he started playing.
The earliest days of his playing included playing at local jazz clubs when he opened for musicians such as B.B. King, and Wynton Marsalis. He also played alongside Hank Mobley, Trudy Pitts, Shirley Scott, and Philly Joe Jones to mention a few.
Who are Joey DeFrancesco’s Parents?
The organist was the son of “Papa” John DeFrancesco (father) and Laurene DeFrancesco. His father was born as the son of a jazz musician, Joseph DeFrancesco on September 12, 1940, and is currently 84 years.
His father is also an American jazz organist and vocalist known for his A Philadelphia Story (Savant, 2011), Comin Home (Muse, 1994), and Doodlin’ (Muse, 1993) among others.
His parents have in one way or the other contributed to his success in his music career. His father thought him the basics and his mother also supported his early dream.
Joey Defrancesco Went to the Same School with Boyz II Men and Stephen Tirpak
The musician attended Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, CAPA where he studied music specializing in piano and organ.
There are several notable people such as vocal harmony boy band Boyz II Men and jazz recording artist, Stephen Tirpak.
Other famous alumni of the school are artists Anye Elite, Black Thought, Billy Mann, and Questlove. Actors Robert X. Golphin, Brett Gray, and Leslie Odon Jr. also attended the school among several other people.
His Rise to Stardom Through Trumpeter Miles Davis
Although the Philadelphia-born artist started performing alongside many artists earlier, it was after Miles Davis discovered him at 17 that he became a household name. This came after a contract with Columbia Records when he was 16 in 1988.
Trumpeter Davis was in Philadelphia for an interview with a local TV show when Joey DeFrancesco played. The impressed Davis reached out to him for his name and number and that marked the beginning of a new journey in his career.
All to Know About Other Aspects of the Career Highlight of Joey DeFrancesco
He Released His First Record at 17 and Released Above 30 Albums
In 1989, Joey DeFrancesco released his first recording titled All of Me under the Columbia record. An album of the same title was also released by the artist and it was praised for bringing back jazz the organ to jazz music in the 1980s.
In the same year, he played the keyboard on Miles Davis’ jazz album, “Amandla” which had several critical acclaims and reached No. 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart in 1989.
The artist released about 5 albums with Columbia Records titled All of Me, Where Were You, Part III, Reboppon, and Live at the 5 Spot.
He would also release several music albums that count to more than 30. Most of them have received positive reviews.
One of his career highlights was the release of Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson which he released in 2010 ad won him a Grammy award nomination in 2011.
Joey DeFrancesco Started Touring at 18
Apart from his numerous recordings, he started touring at 18 and performed majorly in America and Europe. He toured with Davis and also became the leader of a jazz band, “Mahavishnu Orchestra”.
By the time he turned 22, Joey had already founded “The Free Spirits” with musicians John McLaughlin and Dennis Chambers and toured for 4 years, and also recorded more albums.
Some of DeFrancesco’s Best Songs
Joey DeFrancesco’s Accolades
- Dubbed the best B3 player on the planet by JazzyTimes
- Chicago tribune record that he “dominated the instrument and the field no one of his generation has”
- 5x Grammy nominations for:
- Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (2004)
- Best Contemporary Jazz Album (2011)
- 3x Best Jazz Instrumental Album (2015, 2018, 2020)
- 9x Down Beat Critics Poll Awards
- He was inducted into the Hammond Hall of Fame (2013)
Who was Joey’s Wife?
The jazz musician was married to Gloria DeFrancesco on July 24, 2011. Their marriage lasted 11 years until the demise of Joey in 2022.
Although Gloria keeps her life private, she may be a supportive wife as suggested by social media posts. She is also reportedly in the music industry as her late husband’s manager.
While this claim is not ascertained, one fact about the celebrity wife is that she is a cooking enthusiast who tries recipes and shares images and videos of her culinary skills on social media.
Meet Joey DeFrancesco’s Only Daughter
Ashley Blue DeFrancesco is the only daughter of Joey. It is unclear who her mother is and since she was born many years before her father married Gloria, there is no evidence that the latter is her mother.
DeFrancesco’s daughter is an artist, beauty and makeup enthusiast, and social media sensation.
In the aspect of music, she is known for songs such as Shine, Got Me, and Over You.
As regards makeup, she creates content on social media about makeup. She also started running a YouTube channel “Ashleybluedef” where she gives reviews and ideas on makeup and beauty products.
How Did He Die?
The exact cause of the death of Joey is not known as his family has not revealed it at the time of this writing. What is certain is that he died on Thursday 25 August 2022 at the age of 51.
Prior to his death, the jazz icon’s weight reduction started to draw attention. It is suspected that an ailment may be responsible and could have led to his death.
Despite this popular opinion, it is worthy of note that it is not out of place for people (including celebrities) to lose weight without any health challenges.
The late Joey Defrancesco made a mark as one of the greatest jazz musicians ever. His death at 51 may be sudden, but his music still lives and may be passed from one generation to another. He will be remembered as one who immortalized himself through jazz even though the genre makes only 1.1% of music sales.
Joey was a super musician. I saw him play at The Jazz Kitchen ( Inpls) many years ago and his virtuosity on organ, trumpet was inspiring. He was always smiling and sharing his joy with all around him.