Chuck Mangione

Charles Frank Mangione was born on November 29, 1940, in Rochester, New York. He began his musical journey with piano lessons in elementary school and later switched to the trumpet after watching the film “Young Man with a Horn.” During high school, he and his pianist brother, Gap Mangione, formed a band, and they had the opportunity to play in sessions with jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. He continued his musical education at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester from 1958 to 1963, where he began playing the flugelhorn, an instrument that would become his signature. Early in his career, Mangione gained prominence as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the 1960s, filling the trumpet chair previously held by notable musicians.

In the late 1960s, Mangione was part of the National Gallery band and also served as the director of the Eastman jazz ensemble from 1968 to 1972. A significant milestone occurred in 1970 when he recorded the album “Friends and Love” with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. His collaboration with saxophonist Gerry Niewood led to further success, culminating in his first Grammy Award in 1977 for Best Instrumental Composition for “Bellavia.” The late 1970s marked a period of international recognition with his ensemble, featuring Chris Vadala, Grant Geissman, Charles Meeks, and James Bradley Jr. Their efforts produced the hit studio albums “Feels So Good” and “Fun and Games,” along with the “Children of Sanchez” soundtrack. “Feels So Good” became a rare instrumental Top Ten hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. In 1978, he composed the soundtrack for the film “The Children of Sanchez,” earning him a second Grammy Award in 1979 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. His compositions were also featured at the Olympic Games, with “Chase the Clouds Away” used at the 1976 Summer Olympics and “Give It All You Got” as the theme for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.

Beyond his musical career, Mangione made television appearances, including roles in “Magnum, P.I.” and “Sharon, Lois & Bram’s Elephant Show.” He also had a recurring role as a fictionalized version of himself on the animated television series “King of the Hill,” beginning in 1997, where he was a celebrity spokesman for the “Mega Lo Mart.” His 2000 album, “Everything For Love,” included a track titled “Peggy Hill” as a tribute to the series. Mangione raised over $50,000 for St. John’s Nursing Home through ticket sales from his 60th-birthday concert in 2000. In 2009, his band experienced a tragedy with the loss of Gerry Niewood and Coleman Mellett in a plane crash. Chuck Mangione officially retired in 2015 and passed away in his sleep on July 22, 2025, at the age of 84 in Rochester, New York. His copyrights were acquired by Primary Wave in 2024.