Miles Davis’ drummer Jimmy Cobb has died of lung cancer at the age of 91.
The musician was the last surviving member of late Jazz legend Davis’ First Great Sextet and played on his iconic 1959 album, ‘Kind of Blue’, when he was just 30 years old.
NPR reported that Cobb’s wife, Eleana Tee Cobb, confirmed that her spouse – whose full name was Wilbur James Cobb – sadly lost his battle with the disease on Sunday (24.05.20), and passed away at home in Manhattan.
As well as performing with Davis – who died of pneumonia, aged 65, in 1991 – Cobb played the drums for the likes of Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Pearl Bailey, Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan, and many more.
Cobb had battled poor health for the past two years, and his daughter, Serena, setup a GoFundMe page earlier this year to raise funds for her father’s holistic treatment, which reached $100,000 donations.
The fundraising page read: "For the past 2 years he’s been dealing with some medical issues that have been causing severe challenges for him physically.
"Unfortunately he has been unable to receive proper treatment due to financial struggles.
"We’ve chosen a holistic approach which requires 100% out of pocket coverage for both treatment and visits, as it isn’t covered by insurance. He is also currently in need of a full time care giver."
Just last year, Washington D.C. native Cobb – who was inducted the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2011 – opened up about why he was set on becoming a drummer.
He said: "I figured it was something I’d like to do.
"And when I learned enough to do it, I figured that would be what I would do for the rest of my life."
Influential jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette, 77, has paid tribute to Cobb, who he said "blew [him] away" with his incredible gift.
He wrote on Facebook: "Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of the great Jimmy Cobb.
Jimmy blew me away with his playing on the Miles Davis Kind of Blue recording and I have been a fan ever since.
"Jimmy left an amazing musical legacy which will never go away.
"May he be at peace."