Larry has gone to join George and Ira whose names he loved to drop. He usually referred to his instrument as a mouth organ, not a harmonica (even less a blues harp or gob iron). Musician Larry Adler dies
Highly acclaimed musician Larry Adler, widely acknowledged as the world's greatest harmonica player, has died at the age of 87. Adler, who had been in showbiz for an astonishing 73 years, had been battling cancer and recently suffered a series of health setbacks.
Adler made the harmonica a newly respected instrument He died last night at St Thomas's Hospital in London surrounded by his family.
His manager, Jonathan Shalit, said: "Only three weeks ago we were talking about him doing a concert in China."
"He was very active until the end, that was one of the things which made him such a remarkable man."
The musician's last recording was with Cerys Matthews from the Welsh pop band Catatonia.
He was known for his original collaborations with a range of musicians but also his own virtuoso performances.
Show business friends, including Elton John, Sting and Sir George Martin, had sent messages in recent days to the legend.
Shalit said: "He was without doubt one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century and the world is a poorer place without him.
Adler, who was Jewish, was born in the US but moved to London in the 1949.
He was forced to leave the States after accusations of pro-communist sympathies during the McCarthy era.
The slurs ruined his career in the US, though he was widely respected for his refusal to accuse other musicians or acquaintances.
Besides his musical fame, Adler also appeared in a number of films and was known as a prolific letter writer, his correspondence to Private Eye becoming legendary.
He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the soundtrack of the movie Genevieve, although his name was originally kept off the credits because of the McCarthy blacklisting.
Adler is survived by four children, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
(c)BBC OnlineRtS (I thought Tommy Reilly did the Genevieve soundtrack?)