Elvin Shepherd

AKA:
Shep
Birth Name:
Elvin J. Shepherd
Birth Date:
May 28, 1923
Birth Place:
Alexandria, Virginia
Death Date:
June 2, 1995
Place of Death:
Buffalo, New York
Age:
72
Cause of Death:
Undisclosed
Cemetery Name:
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Claim to Fame:
Music
Elvin "Shep" Shepherd was a legendary saxophonist whose career spanned half a century. He traveled with such big name bands as Buck Clayton, Bill Doggett, Billy Ekstine, Erskin Hawkins, Lucky Milinder, and Nat Towles. During his storied career he also accompanied such artists as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Ray Price, Della Reese, and Dakota Staton.

Fun fact: Drafted into the military at the age of 18, Shep went off to camp Pickett, Virginia for basic training where he made the acquaintance of members in an Army band and started sitting in with them on officers club jobs. Shep was on a troop train headed for Camp Barkley, in Ailene, Texas and made a stop in St Louis for a 5-6 hour layover. Shep and some of the guys made for place called the Hawaiian Club to hear a new band with a promising young, but unknown trumpeter named Miles Davis, and Shep recalls, “I gave him some tips on playing the trumpet”.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Forest Lawn Cemetery

1411 Delaware Ave

Buffalo, New York, 14209

USA

North America

Map:

Grave Location:

Section 36, Lot 31-N 2/3, Space: 2

Grave Location Description

Behind the mausoleum about 100 feet from the road, even with the back-side glass doors to the mausoleum

Grave Location GPS

42.92832937,-78.85753384

Photos:

[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]

FAQ's

Elvin Shepherd was born on May 28, 1923.

Elvin Shepherd was born in Alexandria, Virginia.

Elvin Shepherd died on June 2, 1995.

Elvin Shepherd died in Buffalo, New York.

Elvin Shepherd was 72.

The cause of death was Undisclosed.

Elvin Shepherd's grave is in Forest Lawn Cemetery

Read More About Elvin Shepherd:

Videos Featuring Elvin Shepherd:

See More:

Julie London

popular name: Julie London

date_of_death: October 18, 2000

age: 74

cause_of_death: Cardiac arrest and lung cancer

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. Julie London was known for her sultry vocals, and her recording of "Cry Me a River" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. As a successful actress, London was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her role nurse Dixie McCall in the television series 'Emergency!'.

Johnny Ace

popular name: Johnny Ace

date_of_death: December 25, 1954

age: 25

cause_of_death: Accidental gunshot to the head

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: A popular R&B singer with a string of eight hits in a row including "Cross My Heart" and "Please Forgive Me", he blew his brains out on Christmas Day between sets after telling everyone ‘It’s okay! Gun’s not loaded… see?’ Interestingly enough, "Pledging My Love" was a posthumous R&B number 1 hit for 10 weeks beginning February 12, 1955, thus Johnny Ace became the first artist to reach the Billboard pop charts only after death.

Art Pepper

popular name: Art Pepper

date_of_death: June 15, 1982

age: 56

cause_of_death: Stroke

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Considered by many to be the the world's great altoist of his generation, Art Pepper was an alto saxophonist anda longtime fixture in West Coast jazz circles. He first started jamming at the age of 13 on Central Avenue (the black nightclub district in South Central L.A. in the 1940s). At the age of 17, he began playing professionally with Benny Carter and then became part of the Stan Kenton orchestra, touring with that band until 1943. After he played primarily with his own group. Despite his addiction to heroin, his substance abuse and legal travails did not affect the quality of his recordings, which maintained a high level of musicianship throughout his career until his death in 1982.

Back to Top