Donald Eidmann Edmonds

Music was his life.

Don Edmonds was born in Philadelphia to a musical family and started to study Piano at

the age of 5. He attended the Academy of Notre Dame, St. Joseph's Prep, Northeast Catholic High School and the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music.

He began his professional musical career as a teenager and later studied with the famous jazz musicians Lennie Tristano, Bernard Pfeiffer and John Mehegan

He has been playing jazz and music of every genre for many years in New York, • Philadelphia, all across the United States and in Canada and England.

He appeared in concerts at Lincoln Center with the Gotham Jazz Orchestra..

He was featured in numerous TV shows and TV and radio commercials for major companies including Pepsi Cola, Burger King, Campbells soup and Schaefer beer.

He was featured in the motion picture "Earthly Possessions" starring Susan Sarandon. Recordings include "Philadelphia Reunion" with all selections composed by Don; "In a Christmas Mood" with the Starlight Orchestra; The Lou Anderson Big Band Album ,"Who Sent Ya " jazz album with the Sam Ulano Band and many others.

Don travelled around the country and performed with big bands led by: Buddy De Franco, Charlie Ventura, Lou Anderson, Gene Roland, Lester Lanin and Peter Duchin.

When he was on the Joe Franklin television show, he was described as "an outstanding young American jazz pianist"

In recent years Don has been playing with the Jazz Orchestra at Swing 46 on restaurant row in the theatre district in Manhattan, at Arthur's Tavern, a famous jazz nightclub and many other venues.

He spoke French and had a great ear for dialects and regional accents. He loved French Canada and travelled to Quebec and found the Canadian French language to be that of Jacques Cartier. He loved good food and was a Gourmet cook.

Although he had lived in New York for many years, he still loved his hometown of Philadelphia and visited there frequently.

He was a great musician but also a good and kind man with a great intellect and wit and he will be greatly missed by all who love him.

He is survived by his sister, Loretta Edmonds.