Max Roach Public Viewing, Funeral Set For Friday

  I  

A public viewing will be held Friday in New York for drummer Max Roach, who died from complications of dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease on Aug. 16 at the age of 83. His daughters Maxine and Dara were at his bedside at the time of his death, according to family spokesperson Terrie Williams.

Roach’s public viewing will be held at Riverside Church, located at 490 Riverside Drive in Manhattan, from 9-10:30 a.m., with a public funeral service from 11-1 p.m. The legendary drummer will then be buried in a private ceremony at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.

Born on Jan. 10, 1924, in Newland, N.C., Roach is survived by his five children: Daryl Keith Roach, Maxine Roach, Raoul Roach, Ayo Roach and Dara Roach.

The family issued the following statement: “We are deeply saddened by our beloved father’s passing. We wish to convey our sincere thanks and appreciation for all the blessings and condolences we have received at this time. As his family we are fortunate to have been a part of his life and we will continue to share his legacy as a musician, educator and social activist with the world.”

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, Ill., 60601-7633; or Veritas Therapeutic Community, Inc. (which provides substance abuse services), 912 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY, 10025, where Roach was a Veritas Foundation trustee and founder.



  • Coltrane_John_008_copy_2.jpg

    “This is one of the great gifts that Coltrane gave us — he gave us a key to the cosmos in this recording,” says John McLaughlin.

  • 2tx3p_BNJF2025LineupApr11080x1350--1_copy.jpg

    The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall.

  • Ethan_Iverson_by_David_Moressi_2024_copy.jpg

    “I’m certainly influenced by Geri Allen,” said Iverson, during a live Blindfold Test at the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival.

  • Isaiah_Collier_by_Michael_Jackson_2025.jpg

    “At the end of the day, once you’ve run out of differences, we’re left with similarities,” Collier says. “Cultural differences are mitigated through 12 notes.”

  • Andy_Bey_NYC_2014_by_Steven_Sussman_copy.jpg

    “It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”

    Vocalist Andy Bey Dies at 85

    Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…


On Sale Now
June 2025
Theo Croker
Look Inside
Subscribe
Print | Digital | iPad