Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer known for his flugelhorn and trumpet playing, has died at the age of 84. His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Rochester, New York, on 22 July 2025.
Mangione released over 30 albums and sold millions of records throughout his career. He earned 13 Grammy nominations and won two Grammy Awards, including one in 1977 for 'Bellavia' and another in 1979 for 'The Children of Sanchez'. His 1977 album 'Feels So Good' became one of the most successful jazz records ever produced.
Born on 29 November 1940 in Rochester, New York, Mangione was introduced to jazz by his father, who also encouraged his brother, pianist Gap Mangione. He began playing trumpet in high school with the Jazz Brothers and later studied at the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1963. He returned to the school in 1968 to direct its jazz ensemble until 1972.
In 1980, Mangione performed at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. He donated music memorabilia to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2009 and was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
His family remembered him as a musician whose 'love affair with music has been characterized by his boundless energy, unabashed enthusiasm, and pure joy that radiated from the stage'. They added that he often stayed after concerts to sign autographs for fans.
