Chick Corea, a virtuosic jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy Awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, died Tuesday of a rare form of cancer, his team posted on his website over the weekend. He was 79.
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"Throughout his life and career, Chick relished in the freedom and the fun to be had in creating something new, and in playing the games that artists do," his family wrote in a statement. "Through his body of work and the decades he spent touring the world, he touched and inspired the lives of millions."
On his Facebook page, Corea left a message to his fans: "I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It's not only that the world needs more artists, it's also just a lot of fun."
