Celebrated jazz musician and composer Chuck Mangione, best known for his smooth flugelhorn melodies and 1970s hit Feels So Good, has passed away at the age of 84. His attorney, Peter S. Matorin, confirmed that Mangione died peacefully in his sleep at his Rochester home on Tuesday. He had officially retired from music in 2015.
A Soothing Sound That Crossed Generations
Mangione rose to international fame in 1977 with Feels So Good, a jazz-pop instrumental that climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart. The breezy tune became a defining sound of the smooth jazz era and continues to be a favorite on jazz radio. Reflecting on its impact, Mangione once said, “That song just topped out there and took it to a whole other level.”
An Acclaimed Career in Music
Throughout his prolific career, Mangione recorded over 30 albums. His 1977 album Bellavia, named after his mother, earned him his first Grammy Award. He won a second Grammy for the score of The Children of Sanchez, which also received a Golden Globe nomination. His Olympic composition Give It All You Got was performed at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
Mangione began his career playing bebop jazz, influenced by Dizzy Gillespie, and performed with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. After graduating from the Eastman School of Music, he later returned to lead its jazz ensemble.
Pop Culture and Legacy
He also reached a younger audience through his humorous appearances on King of the Hill, voicing a fictionalized version of himself as the Mega Lo Mart spokesman.
In 2009, he donated his iconic brown felt hat and Feels So Good score to the Smithsonian.
Chuck Mangione’s music touched millions across decades. May his soul rest in peace.
