Henry "Hank" Marr (1927-2004)

Columbus musical legend Hank Marr passed away Tuesday, March 16, 2004. Marr was recognized as one of the world's masters of the Hammond B-3 organ. Along with Marr's celebrity status as a member of the jazz elite, (he has played with the likes of Nancy Wilson, Della Reese, Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Lou Rawls, and many others) he was a dedicated and gifted educator. Marr's 55-year career in music is a testament of his mastery of the keyboard.

Marr was born on January 30, 1927 in the Columbus neighborhood of Flytown (present-day Thurber Village). At age 14, Marr would sneak to a neighbor's house to play the piano. Self-taught, he plunked out melodies he had heard on the radio show "The Early Worm."

Marr graduated from East High School in 1945, and joined the Army in 1947. He was transferred to special services where he played in the Army Combo Band. After serving his time, Marr joined the band, Charlie Brantley and the Honeydippers (which played on the fact that some people may have confused them with another band, Joe Liggins and the Honey Drippers.) He began his first formal music instruction at the Ohio State University in 1951, majoring in music theory. There was no jazz studies program at the time, so Marr studied classical music. When asked by his instructors if he could play Beethoven or Chopin, Marr joked, "Who?"

In the early 1950's, Marr joined Rusty Bryant's band (with then-unknown Nancy Wilson on vocals). They played in Atlantic City during the heavy tourist season, when Marr first heard jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Inspired by Smith, Marr began playing the Hammond B-3 organ in 1957. He formed his own group and toured the United States, Canada, and Germany until 1969. From 1969 until 1978, he was musical director for the impressionist George Kirby, performing at Caesar's Palace, The Johnny Carson Show, The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show. In 1981, Marr joined the CJO, and in that same year, he accepted a teaching position at his alma mater, OSU. He retired from OSU in 2000.

Marr was the father of four, with seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was a sports enthusiast and enjoyed watching OSU football and basketball. His favorite moments with the CJO revolved around his beloved B-3. He especially loved being featured on the organ with the CJO at the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Annual Conference in Canada.