Australian jazz musician Graeme Bell has died at the age of 97.
The composer, pianist and bandleader passed away at Sydney's Prince of Wales hospital on Wednesday (13Jun12) following a stroke, according to reports.
Born in Melbourne in 1914, Bell was hailed as one of the leading promoters of jazz in Australia and encouraged musicians from all over the world to perform in the country.
He began weekly classical piano lessons at the age of 12 but later fell in love with jazz when he was introduced to the genre by his younger brother.
The pair began performing jazz publicly in 1935 at various Melbourne dances and clubs and Bell later set up his own group, the Australian Jazz Band, with whom he toured the U.K. and Europe. He eventually moved from Melbourne to Sydney where he set up the Graeme Bell All Stars.
He was made a Member of the British Empire (Mbe) in 1978 and an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1990.