Tag Archives: Alphonse Mouzon

Alphonse Mouzon, RIP

Alphonse Mouzon, Weather Report’s first drummer, has passed away. He was 68 years old. In September he was diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, a rare form of cancer, and began treatment in late November. Although his prognosis was dire, he remained hopeful and upbeat throughout. My understanding is that he suffered a massive heart attack on Christmas day. I last spoke with Alphonse in April 2015. The first thing I remember about it was his voice: He had a rich, broadcaster’s voice, like he belong on radio.

Alphonse was one of those people who was born to be a drummer. He started banging on things when he was a toddler in Charleston, South Carolina. His family didn’t have much money, so he made his own drums out of boxes and tin cans. He used to tap dance on the front porch and play his homemade drums, earning pocket change. “People would throw nickels and dimes,” he recalled. “I never got any quarters!” In high school, he won the South Carolina state scholastic drum competition four years running, earning a scholarship to Florida A&M University. But he elected to forgo A&M in favor of New York City, partially on the recommendation of one of his idols, Cannonball Adderley. Arriving in the Big Apple at the age of 17, he quickly got his own place and found work with the Ross Carnegie Orchestra. He also studied medical technology at Manhattan Medical School and worked as a hospital orderly. Alphonse was a determined young man.

Shortly after moving into his own flat, he knocked on the basement door of the building across the street, where he heard a big band rehearsing. It was the Ross Carnegie Orchestra, a society band in which musicians from the best known jazz bands of the day moonlighted. Alphonse managed to sit in for a tune, and Carnegie was so enamored of his funky groove that he hired him as “second drummer” and roadie. From there, is career advanced rapidly. He took lessons from Bobby Thomas, whom he heard one night with pianist Billy Taylor. He managed to sit in on a tune with him, too. “I remember playing with him and calling my mom and saying, ‘I played with Billy Taylor! I played with Billy Taylor!'” His relationship with Thomas later landed him the gig as the pit band drummer for the show Promises, Promises.

“I guess I was playing in a place called Small’s, a jazz club in New York, and Bobby came to see me along with Harold Wheeler, who’s now the music director with Dancing With The Stars. Harold was 25, I was 19, and they introduced me to him, and they said, oh, they want me to do this show. Bobby was the drummer for Promises, Promises, but he wanted to go across the street to a TV show with David Frost, so they needed a replacement. So he brought Harold Wheeler to my gig. And that’s when I got that job at 19 years old. I was the youngest kid at that time on Broadway.”

Bobby Thomas was also a childhood friend of Wayne Shorter’s, and it was through Thomas that Alphonse got the call to record on Wayne’s album, Odyssey Of Iska, in 1970, which led to him being Weather Report’s first drummer.

After Weather Report, he played with McCoy Tyner, Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House, and recorded his own funk-rock albums, including Mind Transplant with guitarist Tommy Bolin. He eventually played with or recorded with a virtual who’s who of the music industry. He also made an appearance in the Tom Hanks film, That Thing You Do. He was known for his extravagant clothing, especially in the seventies. “I was Mr. Fashionisto,” he told me. “Because Miles Davis was a fashion statement, a Fashionisto. Also, Roy Haynes. All the cats. So I had my own stuff, too, with my leathers and stuff, and platform shoes. I took it more rock.”

A gofundme campaign has been set up Alphonse’s children to help defray funeral expenses.

RIP, Alphonse. We will miss you. Here’s a clip from 1971 in which Weather Report performs “Seventh Arrow” and “Umbrellas” from their self-titled debut album.

The Health Of Alphonse Mouzon

Today Alphonse Mouzon, Weather Report’s original drummer, revealed that he is suffering from Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. His Facebook post, reproduced below, provides the details. His family has set up a gofundme page to solicit donations for treatment. I encourage you to donate, if you can.

Meanwhile, Victor Bailey continues to fight a form of muscular dystrophy called Charcot Marie Tooth disease. It has advanced to a life-threatening stage. At last report, he is being cared for by his sister and family members in Virginia. As previously reported, a youcaring campaign has been set up to help defray his medical expenses. Please beware that fake fundraising campaigns have been created in Victor’s name. Only the youcaring campaign is legitimate.

Facebook statement of Alphonse Mouzon:

PLEASE HELP SAVE LEGENDARY JAZZ-ROCK FUNK-FUSION DRUMMER ALPHONSE MOUZON”S LIFE!!!

On September 7, 2016, I was diagnosed with Stage 3-4 Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, an incredibly rare cancer. On October 10, 2016, I went to Kaiser Permanente for a scheduled appointment with my Oncologist – but I was immediately admitted into the hospital because my lab test results revealed that my kidneys were failing. I was told by my Nephrologist that if I went back home, I would die. I was hospitalized for 13 days straight and was finally released from Kaiser Permanente on October 23, 2016. While I was hospitalized, my surgeons tried to place stents in my left and right kidneys but were unsuccessful because of size of my malignant pelvis mass. They instead performed a nephrostomy on my left kidney on October 11th and on my right kidney on October 18th. I currently have catheters coming out of my back to drain the urine from my kidneys into two external bags. On top of this, I was told that I suffer from Anemia (you couldn’t tell from my drumming), borderline diabetes, and that my 2006 Prostate Cancer has returned. Well, I’ve known about the prostate cancer since March because my PSA rose up to 63. I’ve been taking injections every three months to bring down my PSA level, and luckily it has gone down to 6. As for my Neuroendocrine Carcinoma cancer, my Oncologist and Nephrologist aren’t giving me a chance to survive, but my faith in God is strong and I know that anything is possible through Him! My kidneys are too weak for the doctors to perform chemotherapy, but I know that through God’s grace, I will beat my rare cancer and I will soon beat my drums again. The renown C.H.I.P.S.A. Gerson Therapy Hospital in Mexico specializes in natural cancer treatments and boasts a 95% cancer treatment successful rate, but I must raise enough money ($32,000) for these natural treatments. With the financial support of strangers, fans, family and friends, I know that I can overcome this battle. I want to be around for my beautiful children, grandchildren, family, friends and fans! I’ve started a GoFundMe campaign at to raise money for my rare Neuroendocrine Carcinoma cancer treatments. Please keep me alive by donating as much as you can to my GoFundMe campaign. https://www.gofundme.com/AlphonseMouzon No amount is too big or too small, and your prayers are greatly appreciated. Thanks a Million for your support.

Sincerely,
Alphonse Mouzon