Co-founder of the Pat Metheny Group and GRAMMY-winning contemporary jazz keyboardist and composer Lyle Mays has died at the age of 66. According to a statement released by the Pat Metheny group on Tuesday (Feb. 11), Mays passed away on Monday in Los Angeles after "a long battle with a recurring illness."
Mays' niece, Aubrey Johnson, took to Twitter to relay the news on Monday evening writing, "It is with great sadness that I share that my uncle, Lyle Mays, has passed this morning in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones.... He was my dear uncle, mentor, and friend and words cannot express the depth of my grief."
Introduced to jazz as a teenager, Mays was born into music. His parents played and passed down piano and guitar, while simultaneously he began learning and playing the organ. The Wausakee, Wisconsin native had already been doing public performances by the time he was nine.
Found this fascinating appearance in Pasadena (Caltech) from a few years back:
