Rest In Peace, Pete
I met Pete Fountain at his place in New Orleans many years ago
He was a great guy. One on the best
Posted on 08/06/2016 12:05:09 PM PDT by wardamneagle
Pete Fountain, the famed New Orleans jazz clarinetist whose 60-year career was marked by performances for presidents and a pope, making him an international ambassador for the music and culture of his hometown, has died. He was 86.
http://www.wwltv.com/mb/news/local/no-music-legend-pete-fountain-dies-at-86/289509950
R.I.P., Mr. Pete.
I saw him play at a Jazz festival in downtown Detroit about 42 years ago. I went with some high school friends who played the clarinet. I had no idea who he was.
Rest In Peace, Pete
I met Pete Fountain at his place in New Orleans many years ago
He was a great guy. One on the best
RIP
R.I.P. Mr. Fountain.
Your music will live on.
R.I.P Mr. Fountain!
Every clarinet player in the world wanted to play as well as he did - few were able to!
I sure did! But couldn’t even get close!
It was fun trying, though!
Was featured a lot on the Lawrence Welk Show and other variety shows when they were popular on TV. He and Al Hirt made New Orleans music mainstream.
Real name was Pierre La Fontaine. His music was more complex than his smooth style indicates.
May the angels play him home
St James Infirmary....haunting
Sweet music. Classy player. I was lucky to see him a few times when I was in college in NO.
Another of the greats passes on.
We used to see him with the Half-Fast Walking Club.
I used to see Pete out fishing sometimes at Bay St. Louis. He had a fast-food joint up on Highway 90 for a while there in Mississippi, too. He was often there when not in New Orleans.
When I lived in N.O. I used to see Pete Fountain cruising through the crowds of Mardis Gras like a pied piper with an entourage. His personal parade was called Pete Fountain and his half-fast marching band. RIP, Pete.
When I was kid growing up in the Marigny my dad would get us up early to go walking with Pete and the Half Fast guys. We’d make it to the other side of Canal St then wait for Zulu and Rex as Pete marched on-stopping at every bar along the route. At the end of the day Petes bunch ended up at the bar just across from our house. We’d wait, watching the instruments, till Pete was carried out-Mardi Gras didn’t officially end until we saw that. Tough old bird. He enjoyed life to the fullest and will be missed.
He was in the Lawrence Welk Orchestra for at least four or five years until Lawrence fired him for “jazzing it up too much”.
That was the story around that time but I believe Lawrence denied it later.
Nevertheless Lawrence and Pete remained close friends and Pete made a few guest appearances if I remember correctly. I believe Pete was replaced with Mahlon Clark who would later marry Kathy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
