Grammy-winning composer EARL WILD has died, aged 94.
Wild, who suffered from congestive heart disease, passed away on Saturday (23Jan10) at his home in Palm Springs, California.
He was the first pianist to perform a recital on U.S. television in 1939, and the first to stream a performance over the internet in 1997. He also served as a staff pianist for NBC and ABC networks through the 1960s.
In 1997, he won a Grammy for his album Earl Wild: The Romantic Master.
Wild's last concert performance was at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in February 2008, when he was awarded the President’s Merit Award by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
His memoirs are due to be published later this year (10).
He is survived by his companion of 38 years, Michael Rolland Davis.