Famed Detroit jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave dies at 78

Marcus Belgrave, a jazz trumpeter who graced stages and studios with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Cocker and Motown artists galore, has died. He was 78.

Hazelette Crosby-Robinson, a cousin of Belgrave's wife Joan Belgrave, said the musician died today at an Ann Arbor care facility. The cause of death was heart failure.

Belgrave remained active on the Detroit and international jazz scenes up until his death. He started playing professionally at 12 and joined The Ray Charles Band in the late 1950s.

He came to Detroit in 1962 and became a studio musician for Motown Records, playing on hits including "My Girl" and "Dancing in the Street."
 

In 2009, he received the Kresge Foundation's Eminent Artist award, honoring nationally acclaimed artists who have pursued careers in Detroit.