NEW ORLEANS — Sunday night at the Zulu King and Queen ball, Brian Murray was reveling in the Carnival season for the first time in nearly two years.
Joined by bandmate Julius Handy, Murray’s band played that night at the ball. The two of them have played alongside one another for years.
Handy says he remembers the words of encouragement he offered Murray at the end of their set at the Zulu King and Queen Ball
“Man, everything is going so good for you and the band sounds great,” he said.
He gave Murray a hug and told him, “’I love you bruh’ and we just hugged each other and next thing I get a call about him being murdered.”
Murray was allegedly murdered by Edmond Ramee Sr., the 21-year-old father of Murray’s grandchild. A shocking revelation for Handy, who said his friend was the model family man.
“He was definitely a great father image and I would tell him that all the time. I would say, ‘man, you’re a great dad, these kids will be able to appreciate everything you’re doing for them.’”
But it wasn’t just his own kids and grandkids that Murray was looking after, he managed his non-profit the Jerome Murray Instrumental Music Foundation.
He would go around to friends in the music industry collecting old instruments to gift to New Orleans youth. Many of which ended up at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, where Murray would teach and run free studio sessions for the kids with his partner Dr. Daryl Dickerson.
Dickerson says one of the most painful parts of this loss is for the future young musicians who will never have the opportunity to work with Murray.
“Hearing this young kid play this and [Murray] worked with them on this and knowing that that next kid won’t get that opportunity it hurts,” he said.
Dickerson says he believes Murray’s work at the Marsalis Center and in the Jefferson Parish School District is some of his old friend’s best work.
His death leaves a deep void to be filled.
“He was one of those educators, they don’t come around every day and I hope we can find resolution but it’s going to be hard,” Dickerson said.
As for Handy, he says he’s going to miss their day-to-day interactions the most.
“He would call me and say hey ‘Ju, what’s up Ju?’ I’m going to miss that, really miss that. I love him, he was a real great friend and a brother,” he said.
Remembered for the joy his life brought to so many.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.