NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans jazz and rhythm & blues community lost a beloved bassist and vocalist late August. Funeral arrangements for George French were announced on Tuesday.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation will host a Celebration of Life service this Saturday, Sept. 7 at its center on Rampart Street.
Visitation will begin at 2 p.m. with the service at 3 p.m.
According to WWL Louisiana media partner NOLA.com, George French died at age 81 due to complications from COVID and cancer at a care facility in Metairie on Thursday, August 30.
French was a member of one of the Crescent City's most musical families.
His father, Albert "Papa" French led the original Tuxedo Jazz Band. French had no professional training, but started performing in his teens.
French was a cousin to legendary producer Cosimo Matassa, who hired him to play on recordings by Fats Domino and many others.
You can also hear him on records by Earl King as well as Dollis and The Wild Magnolias.
Times-Picayune reporter Keith Spera wrote: "French showcased a supple voice with a velvety texture and smooth tone, one that could enliven everything from 'Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans' to 'New York, New York.'"
Following French's death, fellow bassist James Singleton took to Facebook to describe the prolific artist of the 1950s and '60s as “one of the very greatest voices I have heard, with tons of soul, depth, wit, and just sheer gravitas to back it up.”
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