Oscar Peterson.

Trumpet was Oscar Peterson’s first instrument until tuberculosis weakened his lungs, pushing him toward the piano. He was born in 1925 in Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighborhood to Daniel Peterson, a porter, and Kathleen Olivia John Peterson, a domestic worker. His older sister Daisy Sweeney, a music teacher, gave him piano lessons. He was a schoolmate of actor Christopher Plummer and studied at the High School of Montreal and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Peterson began recording for RCA in the mid-1940s. Jazz at the Philharmonic saw him join in the 1950s, and he toured until the late 1960s. His recording partners included Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker. He formed the Oscar Peterson Trio and co-founded the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto in 1960. Canadiana Suite 1964 became a signature composition. For the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, he composed A Royal Wedding Suite. A stroke in 1993 limited his left hand, yet he continued to perform and record, winning multiple Grammys.

Peterson married four times: Lillian Fraser 1943-1958, Sandra King 1966-1976, Charlotte Huber 1977-1987, and Kelly Peterson, who outlived him. From these marriages came seven children: four daughters Lyn, Sharon, Gay, Celine and three sons Oscar Jr., Norman, Joel. His daughter Celine was born to his widow Kelly. A stroke in 1993 restricted the use of his left hand, but he continued to play. Kidney failure ended his life on December 23, 2007, in Mississauga, Ontario, at age 82.

Comparisons to childhood idol Art Tatum underscore Oscar Peterson’s place among the great jazz pianists. He won 8 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Additional honors include the Glenn Gould Prize, Praemium Imperiale, and Companion of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1995 and the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2005, he became the first living person other than a reigning monarch on a Canadian postage stamp. His influence extended to musicians Herbie Hancock and Elton John. He is best remembered for his virtuosic piano technique, his trio work, and his composition Canadiana Suite.