NEW ORLEANS — Jimmy Maxwell, best known for his celebrated performances at Mardi Gras balls, died on Feb. 29, according to NOLA.com.
The Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra performed at 15 to 20 balls each year, including Rex and Comus. Its conductor and namesake was 70.
James "Jimmy" Maxwell grew up in Gentilly. He carried on the musical tradition of his father, who was a drummer for Rene Louapre, performing at Carnival balls from the 1940s to the 1980s.
Jimmy Maxwell eventually joined Louapre's group, playing the piano and drums alongside his father. Eventually, Maxwell started his own band in 1981, and when Louapre died in 1987, Maxwell succeeded him as the preeminent New Orleans orchestra leader.
In recent years, the musical tradition continued, as Jimmy Maxwell's son, Robert, had taken over for Dad in most performances. But Jimmy Maxwell was still an active part of the orchestra, most recently during Mardi Gras 2024.
"I'm lucky that he was more than a dad in many ways," Robert Maxwell told NOLA.com. "He was a business partner, a fellow musician and a best friend."
Jimmy Maxwell's daughter Elizabeth Maxwell also performed in the group as a singer.
"I always have a deep feeling of history when I play traditional Carnival music," Jimmy Maxwell said in 1993 to Arthur Hardy's Mardi Gras Guide. "I feel in a little way I am helping perpetuate this wonderful family celebration that is so uniquely New Orleans."
And Jimmy Maxwell wasn't just performing in front of Carnival royalty. At the orchestra's peak, the band performed at more than 200 events each year, performing in front of three U.S. presidents and members of the British royal family.
In addition to his son and daughter, Jimmy Maxwell is survived by his wife of 47 years, Helen Maxwell of Metairie. A celebration of life is planned for a later date.
