William Bone-Hardy wasn't, as far as I know, a musician and in recent years he didn't get to many concerts or gigs, nevertheless, his enthusiasm for the music of Duke Ellington was on a par with those other two great Ellington devotees - Hughie Aitchison and Brian Fisher - themselves gone to that Cotton Club up there.
The last time I spoke to Bill Hardy, as he liked to
be called, was a couple of years ago in Asda. Despite his advanced years, he
looked well but bemoaned the fact that he had outlived his heroes, by which he
meant Ellington, Hodges etc., and that there was no longer any music being
produced that was worth listening to. I could have argued but didn't, I knew
that at that stage in his life he would not be receptive to change. I was just
pleased to know that he was still around and getting pleasure from the music
he'd enjoyed for most of his life.
I met him back in the early 1970s when I was working
on the jazz record section of a local music store and he was a regular
customer. We had many discussions on jazz often from opposite sides of the
fence/counter but always with mutual respect.
He was that rare breed of person who could be
called 'a true gentleman'. When he died this week, well into his 90s, jazz
music lost one of its staunchest supporters.
Condolences to wife and family.
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