Services and Memorials Announced for Mel Dancy, Miami Jazz Artist & Lyricist

Top row (l-r):  Mel’s promo pic; Mel and Ahmad Jamal; Mel & Joanie; The Platters (Mel is 2nd from right).  Middle row (l-r):  Mel and Michael Gerber; Mel at Hollywood Jazz Festival; Mel’s album; Mel with Teddy Powell, Junior Mance, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Cleo Laine, Sir Roland Hannah, Eugene Blake.  Bottom row (l-r):  Mel and Kimberly Chmura (KCC Productions); Mel & Dizzy Gillespie; Mel promo pic; Mel with Harry Belafonte, Hedy Lemar, and other singers, Mel in the studio.

With a sad and  heavy heart, please be advised that on Sunday morning, October 9, 2016, Mel Dancy gave up the fight. He had been hospitalized or in rehabilitation since April of last year. Plans for his send off are being completed, but here is what has been decided so far:

Viewing

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, 5PM-9PM

Trinity Funeral Chapel

13300 W. Dixiw Highway

Miami, FL 33161

Funeral Services

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016,  4PM

Trinity Funeral Chapel

13300 W. Dixiw Highway

No. Miami, Florida 33161

REPASS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING
At the home of
Barry Edelson
4040 Southwest 33rd Street
West Park, FL 33023

Interment

Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016

South Florida National Veteran's Cemetery

6501 N State Rd 7, Lake Worth, FL 33449

If you would like to make a donation to help defray some of the expenses that have mounted, please check out gofundme.com/meldancy, or send me an email, we'll discuss it, or if you'd like to write something we can read for you, please send it to me at this address, and we'll take care of it.

MEL WAS INDUCTED INTO THE 

2010 SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ HALL OF FAME. 

HE WILL BE MISSED.

Trained at the Los Angeles Theater of the Arts, Mel was a prolific lyricist who joined the Riveleers out of high school, singing in all their later recordings and arranging "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" ("the first time a modulation ever appeared in Rhythm and Blues", he said) for the McGuire Sisters. He wrote with Dizzy Gillespie ("Brother Martin"), Mike Longo, and Sir Roland Hanna. "Brother Martin" received a Year's Best poetry award in 1985.   

He also collaborated with The Platters over a four year period in their heyday and toured with them to Mexico and the Canary Islands. He also did a solo tour of Japan for four months.  Mel performed at the Village Vanguard and on the Russian tour of Hanna, Thad Jones, and Mel Lewis as featured vocalist, and on tours by the New York Jazz Quartet and The Platters Review (photo below). He performed at innumerable clubs in the Miami area and at the Hollywood and Biscayne Jazz Festivals, and has worked on several cruises.

Also, we will be joining Eddy "Oriente" Balzola on Thursday, October 20, 2016 at Le Chat Noir, 2 South Miami Ave., Miami, FL  33130, for a memorial tribute. The music will start at 6PM, so bring your ax, your memories and a helping hand. We need to send him off in grand style. 

Mel's final gig will be on Wednesday, October 26, at the Luna Star Cafe. Join us.

Luv you Madly,

Lady Alice Day

sophisticatedlady000@gmail.com