Final Cadence

Derek Burt ’48 of Old Orchard Beach, ME, died on December 30, 2016. He was 83. Burt played trumpet in the Canadian Air Force Band before attending Berklee. He later owned and operated retail stores selling audio equipment and musical instruments in Portland, ME, until he retiried in 1998. 

Gerald Lamy ’61 of Las Vegas, NV, died on Sept. 25, 2016. He was 77. He studied at Berklee and The Boston Conservatory. He played trumpet with the Woody Herman Orchestra before settling in Las Vegas where he played with many entertainers. He leaves two sons and a daughter.

Walter Magee Jr. ’63 of Framingham, MA, died on September 9 after a struggle with cancer. He was 73. Magee dedicated his career to public school music education in Hardwick, VT, and Millis and Ashland, MA. He leaves his wife Sherri, two daughters, and a son.

Saxophonist Gordon Matson ’69 of Concord, NH, died on October 28. He was 72. Before coming to Berklee, Matson was a member of the 18th U.S. Army Marching Band. He had interests in music and antique cars, and for a time worked as a courier. He leaves his companion Judith Wildman.

Pianist Allan Zavod ’73 of Melbourne, Australia, died on November 29 after a battle with cancer. He was 71. A renowned pianist, Zavod  was discovered by Duke Ellington, who arranged for him to come to Berklee. He later became a faculty member. Zavod played with numerous top artists and served as the musical director for the Good Morning Australia TV show. He leaves his wife, Christine; and son, Zak.

Brian Amet ’74 of Dorchester, MA, after a heart attack on August 5. He was 61. A pianist, Amet had played in rock, jazz, and concert bands, and attended the Adamant School of Music to polish his classical technique. He worked as a dog groomer until his retirement in 2016.

William “Chip” Anderson III of Levittown, PA, died suddenly on October 20. He was 61. Anderson worked as a tool and die maker for his entire working career. He leaves his wife, Susan; son William; daughter, Bonnie; and two grandsons.

Former bass faculty member Victor Bailey ’80 died on November 11 from a form of muscular dystrophy which had confined him to a wheel chair in his later years. He was 56. Bailey is best known for serving as the last bassist for Weather Report, and followed Jaco Pastorius in 1982. Bailey also played on more than 1,000 recordings with such artists as Sonny Rollins, LL Cool J, Sting, Patrice Rushen, and others. He toured with Madonna and Steps Ahead, and penned songs for Nina Simone, Patti LaBelle, and more. He also released two solo albums and two with CBW, a group he formed with Larry Coryell and Lenny White.

Jeremy Dean Harris ’92, of Easton, CT, passed away on Nov. 7 after years of battling addiction. He was 43. In addition to his love for music, Harris loved animals and worked at a veterinary hospital. He leaves his wife, Wendy.

Vocalist JoJo David ’94 of Newton, MA, died of heart problems on October 18, 2016. He was 50. David was a singer, composer, arranger, and recording artist with musical interests in a cappella and vocal jazz ensemble music, contemporary folk, pop, and sacred liturgical music. He was the coach for two vocal ensembles at Boston College and served as the music director for Sacred Heart Church in Newton. He is survived by his wife, Anne Marie (Cotter) David ’93, and their daughter, Madeline.

Drummer and percussionist Andrew Frawley ’94 of Brooklyn, NY, died in a car accident on August 9 in Alabama. He was 49. Frawley had a deep love for drumming and studied with Gary Chaffee and percussionists from Cuba and Brazil. He taught and performed professionally and was most recently a member of the Brooklyn-based band Midnight Magic. He leaves his parents; a brother; and a sister.