Chuck Mangione, American jazz legend, dies at 84

Acclaimed American musician and songwriter Chuck Mangione , known worldwide for hits like Feels So Good , has died at the age of 84 . The news was released Thursday, although the artist passed away last Tuesday in his sleep at his home in his hometown of Rochester, New York . Mangione has been recognized for his mastery and artistry in playing the flugelhorn , a wind instrument similar to the trumpet.

The Rochester Jazz Hall of Fame notes in a statement that Mangione grew up in a home "steeped" in jazz . He and his brother, Gap, listened to their father's albums, which instilled in them a love and passion for the musical genre. His father often took them to Sunday matinees at the city's jazz clubs, where they had the opportunity to hear such greats as Miles Davis , Sarah Vaughan , Sonny Rollins , and Cannonball Adderley .

Chuck, remembered by many for always wearing his trademark hat, began his musical career playing alongside his brother Gap , a pianist, in his group Jazz Brothers. With this line-up, they recorded three albums with Riverside Records. Mangione later became part of the influential Jazz Messengers . He won two Grammy Awards for his work on Bellavia in 1977 and in 1979 for the soundtrack to the film The Children of Sanchez , for which he also received a Golden Globe nomination.

Who was Chuck Mangione?

Chuck Mangione , whose full name was Charles Frank Mangione , was born on November 29, 1940. His career took off, earning him 13 Grammy Award nominations , of which he won two. International attention came in 1980 when he performed " Give It All You Got" at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in New York City, a moment that catapulted him to global fame.

His song Feels So Good , recorded in 1978, became one of his biggest hits, according to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame, of which Mangione was inducted in 2012. The eponymous song peaked at number 4 on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 chart, staying there for five weeks, and earned him a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year.