Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr.

A jazz-funk master, he also served as bandleader for Nina Simone - the man was a true don.

Irvine himself wrote over 500 songs over the course of his career, including the lyrics for "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black"; which became the official Civil Rights anthem.
Regarded highly by artists in the world of hip-hop for whom he served as collaborator and mentor - even giving piano lessons to Q-Tip and Common - he was a composer, a playwright, a poet, a pianist and an organist.

In April 10, 2002, the Associated Press released this news article:

'A man killed himself with a rifle yesterday on the front lawn of a Uniondale office complex, Nassau police said. The apparent suicide took place at the EAB Plaza, on Hempstead Turnpike, just west of the Meadowbrook Parkway and across from Nassau Coliseum. It happened about 3:20 p.m., while workers were inside the large office complex.

Homicide Det. Sgt. Richard Laursen said police do not know who the man is or how he got there.

He said the man was wearing a tailored button-down shirt, gray slacks and black shoes and was dark-skinned, possibly Hispanic or light-skinned African-American. They had no age estimate for the man. He apparently carried the .22-caliber rifle used in the shooting in a black garment bag, according to police.

The body was taken to the Nassau medical examiner for an autopsy.'

The man was identified a week later as Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr.

Irvine left no suicide note, so we can only speculate as to what pressures could have led to this tragic end. Friends close to Weldon at the time of his death spoke of him contemplating selling the rights to his music to settle the $200,000 debt owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Weldon never owned anything in his life that could be liquidated except for his music rights, and this is the one thing he fought hardest to retain.

What he had, he gave to art, to the development of young musical talents and to worthy causes for which little return would be forthcoming. His was the gift of giving. What he lost were financial gambles at the race track from which he could never recover, thus depriving himself of attaining the peace of mind he so desperately sought throughout most of his life.

RIP brother Weldon - thank you for your music.

*Weldon Irvine*

Morning Sunrise (Saucerman LP The Sisters)
Intro to Blast Off (RCA LP Spirit Man)
Homey (Nodlew LP Time Capsule)
Mr PC (Luv n Height LP Weldon & The Kats)
Turkish Bath (Strata East LP In Harmony)
Deja Vu (Nodlew LP Time Capsule)
Walk That Walk; Talk That Talk (RCA LP Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine))
I Am (Nodlew LP Time Capsule)
Mr Clean (Nodlew LP Liberated Brother)
Bananas (Nodlew LP Time Capsule)
Sister Sanctified (Nodlew LP Liberated Brother)
We Gettin Down (RCA LP Spirit Man)
Watergate - Don't Bug Me (Nodlew LP Time Capsule)
Fat Mouth (Strata East LP In Harmony)
Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine) (RCA LP Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine))
I Love You (RCA LP Sinbad)
Music Is The Key (Luv n Height LP Weldon & The Kats)
Honey Baby Theme (RCA LP Honey Baby, Honey Baby Soundtrack)
Softly (RCA LP Spirit Man)