A legendary drummer and beloved Haligonian has passed away at the age of 80.
Jerry Granelli was probably best known for his work playing the drums on the soundtrack of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The animated holiday classic debuted in 1965.
Granelli’s son, J Anthony Granelli, confirmed his death in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“It is with such great sadness that I must let you all know that my father Jerry Granelli passed away peacefully at his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia around 9 a.m. Atlantic time [Tuesday] morning,” the Facebook posts says. “As many of you know he was hospitalized in December for many months. Since being home he had made steady progress but eventually was not able to overcome the ordeal.”
Granelli was born in San Francisco in 1940 and moved to Halifax in the 1990s. His career spanned over 60 years with more than 30 albums recorded.
His work has been recognized by various institutions including the Junos, The Grammy Awards, the National Library of Congress Sound Archives, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In the late 2000s he began touring festivals across Canada with his show “Tales of a Charlie Brown Christmas,” a retelling of his time working on the classic film.
Grenelli’s website includes several links to his work, including this video by 3D Wave Design.
He also took part in this year’s Halifax Jazz Festival, holding a workshop on Sunday. He was also an integral in establishing the festival.
His son says he will be missed by many.
“Dad was a true force of nature, he will be greatly missed by his three children, five grand children and all of the countless people he touched through his music, teaching and spirit,” says J Anthony Granelli.
