George Duke’s Death Shocks Fans

George Duke Passes at 67

George Duke died on August 5, 2013, in Los Angeles at age 67, following complications from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He had just completed and released his final album, DreamWeaver, a deeply personal project dedicated to his late wife, Corine.

Radio Facts is sorry to report that veteran musician George Duke died on August 5, 2013, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 67. He had been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia and suffered heart‑related complications connected to the illness. Duke had just completed and released his album DreamWeaver on Concord Records, a heartfelt tribute to his late wife, Corine, and was in the process of promoting it at the time of his passing.

Early Life and Career

Born January 12, 1946, in San Rafael, California, George Duke grew up in the Bay Area and began studying piano as a child after seeing Duke Ellington perform live, an experience he often described as life‑changing. He later attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he majored in trombone and composition and minored in contrabass, before launching a professional career that would span more than four decades. Over the course of that career he released more than 30 solo studio albums, several live and collaborative projects, and became a pivotal figure in jazz‑fusion, funk, and R&B.

Duke’s early reputation was built in jazz and fusion. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he recorded with his own trio and with violinist Jean‑Luc Ponty, including the influential album The Jean‑Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio. His work on albums like Feel (1974), The Aura Will Prevail (1975), and I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry (1975), much of it for the German label MPS, showcased his adventurous approach to electric keyboards and synthesizers. Duke reached a wider audience when he joined Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, becoming a key part of Zappa’s early‑’70s sound and touring extensively around the world.

Hits, Albums and Collaborations

By the mid‑ to late‑1970s, Duke moved into a successful funk and R&B crossover phase on Epic/CBS with albums such as From Me to You (1977), Reach for It (1977), Don’t Let Go (1978), Follow the Rainbow (1979), and Master of the Game (1979). The single “Reach for It,” written by Duke, became one of his biggest hits, a jazz‑funk and R&B staple that broke him to a broader Black radio and club audience. Around the same time, tracks like “Dukey Stick,” “Movin’ On,” and “I Want You for Myself,” which he also wrote or co‑wrote, further cemented his reputation as a funk innovator. In 1980 he released A Brazilian Love Affair, blending Brazilian rhythms, jazz, and soul, a project that remains a fan and critic favorite.

In the early 1980s, Duke’s collaboration with bassist Stanley Clarke as the Clarke/Duke Project yielded another signature hit, “Sweet Baby,” which he co‑wrote and performed with Clarke. The song reached the Top 20 on the pop charts and became a quiet‑storm and adult contemporary standard. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s he continued to release albums, including Dream On (1982), Guardian of the Light (1983), Rendezvous (1984), Illusions (1995), and Is Love Enough? (1997), while simultaneously becoming an in‑demand producer and musical director.

As a producer, arranger, and musical director, Duke worked with artists such as Dianne Reeves, A Taste of Honey, Jeffrey Osborne, Anita Baker, Al Jarreau, and others, helping to craft both album cuts and hit singles. He produced A Taste of Honey’s version of “Sukiyaki,” which became a major hit, and served as musical director for high‑profile television specials and award shows, including the Soul Train Music Awards and other network events. In 2000 he won a Grammy Award for producing Dianne Reeves’s album In the Moment – Live in Concert, underscoring his status as a behind‑the‑scenes force as well as a front‑line artist.

Duke’s biggest and most frequently cited songs, where he is credited as writer or co‑writer, include “Reach for It,” “Dukey Stick,” “Sweet Baby,” “Shine On,” and “I Want You for Myself.” “Reach for It” and “Dukey Stick” became classic examples of late‑’70s jazz‑funk and have been referenced and sampled by later generations of artists and producers. “Sweet Baby,” co‑written and performed with Stanley Clarke, remains one of his most enduring compositions, while “Shine On” gave him additional chart presence, particularly in Japan and on R&B and dance radio.

Business Moves and BPM

In business terms, Duke spent much of his prime recording years signed to major labels such as MPS, Epic/CBS, Warner, and later Concord. In 2000 he ended his relationship with Warner and launched his own imprint, BPM (Big Piano Music), specifically to gain greater creative and business control over his projects. That move meant he owned and controlled at least the masters and associated rights for his later‑period releases on BPM, while his classic ’70s and ’80s material remained under traditional major‑label structures. There is no widely reported blockbuster sale of his entire songwriting catalog; his situation reflects a hybrid typical of artists of his era, with some rights retained personally or through his companies and others controlled or administered through label‑affiliated publishers.

Final Years and DreamWeaver

In his final years, Duke continued to tour, record, and collaborate, even as he faced personal and health challenges. His wife, Corine, died of cancer in 2012 after nearly four decades of marriage, a loss that left him devastated and initially unable to work. He eventually returned to the studio to create DreamWeaver, channeling his grief, memories, and faith into an album that revisited the full range of his musical vocabulary—from straight‑ahead jazz and fusion to funk, R&B, and gospel‑inflected ballads. The record was released in 2013 and now stands as his final statement.

Former Supremes member Sherrie Payne, a close friend of the family, shared this statement on his passing: “I just received the devastating and sad news that the great musician, George Duke, passed away this evening at St. John’s hospital in L.A. It was just one year earlier, July 18th, that his beloved wife and my friend, Corine, went to be with the Lord. Please keep his sons, Rasheed and John, in your prayers.”

Vic McLean Remembers George Duke

Radio Facts editor Kevin Ross talked to Vic McLean, a former Universal Music Group Manager for Verve Music and one of George Duke’s closest friends, on the morning after Duke’s passing. McLean, understandably devastated, explained that he left his position at Verve to work with George exclusively. George had undergone surgery in Los Angeles, admitted under an alias, and did not pull through.

Radio Facts: What was it like to work with George?
Vic McLean: George was the best producer, writer, engineer, performer, and arranger, you name it. He was a workaholic who loved what he did. He could take a person who sings flat, like Dee Dee Bridgewater, and make her sound amazing. Quincy Jones is great at putting people together but George could do it all. Many people didn’t know many of the other things that he did. He didn’t often get the support that he needed from the major labels but he was truly amazing. Whenever we were on the road, no matter if he opened, was the 2nd, 3rd or close to the last act, George always stole every show. He had old people in walkers jammin’ in the house.

RF: How did George feel about being an older artist in today’s industry?
VM: George had the same issues that many older artists have with record companies. Lack of promotion. The two independent records that we did together sold more than his major label releases did. He also never saw the kind of revenue he should have seen.

RF: Was George depressed during the 1st anniversary of his late wife Corine’s death recently?
VM: When people are very close and they are together for a long time this is usually what happens. After one goes the other one follows. They had a very unique marriage. She was his rock. George knew his time was near. He always kept his health issues close to the vest. The Concord label that he gave the last record to recently was a true George Duke record. I hope they promote this record right.

Family and Friends

RF: How are his children doing?
VM: His son Rachid is overwhelmed. He’s had to deal with the loss of his mom and his dad within a year.

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RF: Have you talked to Stanley Clark?
VM: I called Stanley a couple of times this morning and I have not been able to reach him. Like the rest of us, he’s probably devastated about the whole thing.

Vic McLean’s Final Thoughts

RF: Any closing words about George?
VM: The best time I have had in my entire career in the industry was working with George Duke independently. I had him up at 5am and wanted to ensure we treated every release like we never put out a record before. He did everything I asked him to do and just had a great work ethic. Thanks so much, Kevin. Having an opportunity to talk with you has really helped me this morning.

George Duke leaves behind a towering legacy as a boundary‑breaking keyboardist, composer, producer, and collaborator whose work with Jean‑Luc Ponty, Frank Zappa, Stanley Clarke, Dianne Reeves, and countless others helped shape modern jazz‑fusion, funk, and R&B.