Veteran Los Angeles jazz and blues singer Barbara Morrison has passed away at the age of 72. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Morrison's brother Richard Morrison shared that she had passed away on March 16. A cause of death was not disclosed.
"We are working on keeping the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center open to preserve my sister's legacy," Richard Morrison said in a statement, referring to the L.A.-area facility his sister founded in 2009.
In early March, a GoFundMe was launched for Morrison after she was admitted to the hospital with cardiovascular disease. The page helped raise more than USD 13,000.
Born in a suburb of Detroit in 1949, Morrison moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s at the age of 21 and went on to perform alongside such legendary musicians as Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Etta James, Nancy Wilson and Dr John.
She also released solo music during her six-decade career, including albums 'I Know How to Do It' (1996) and 'Visit Me' (1999). In addition to performing, Morrison dedicated her life to building the L.A. music community and fostering up-and-coming talent.
In 2009, she opened the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center in Leimert Park. Two years later, she founded the California Jazz & Blues Museum in the same area.
Morrison also served as an associate professor of jazz studies at UCLA. The university recently launched the Barbara Morrison Scholarship for Jazz. She is survived by her brother, Richard Morrison, sisters -- Pamela Morrison-Kersey and Armetta Morrison, and 10 nieces and nephews.
