American pianist Leon Bates has passed away at the age of 76.
Born in Philadelphia, Bates became drawn to the piano at the age of 6 after his kindergarten teacher played for the class. Initially excelling at both violin and piano, he studied at the Settlement Music School, and later at Temple University. Bates went on to appear on the world’s most prestigious stages. Bates was a bodybuilder, a discipline which he claimed enhanced his concentration and endurance onstage.
Leon Bates made numerous arrangements of the songs of George Gershwin. Here is his soulful and virtuosic 1989 recording of The Man I Love:
