Jazz won’t feel the same as before because it has lost an iconic legend, Chuck Mangione, a Grammy-winning flugelhornist whose melodious music touched the hearts of millions. Not only did he reinvent Jaaz with his success, but even made it reach a wider audience in the ’70s, which was a rare feat. Chuck passed away peacefully at the age of 84 in his home in Rochester, New York, on July 22, 2025. The flugelhorn player who became a household name with his iconic album, Feels So Good, in 1978, was surrounded by his loved ones in his final moments. Here’s everything you must know about him.
Who was Grammy-winning jazz icon, Chuck Mangione?
Chuck Mangione, a popular flugelhornist, composer and trumpeter, was born as Charles Frank Mangione on November 29, 2025, to Italian American parents in Rochester, where his early journey into music began. He studied at the Eastman School of Music, where he used to perform alongside popular Jazz icons. Following his education, he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers at the beginning of the 1960s as a trumpeter, a role once fulfilled by Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard, which made Peacemaker hit his first major professional milestone. Needless to say, he gained massive experience with the role, which shaped his understanding of lyrics and sound.
