Jazz Impresario George Wein 2005 Inspire Award Honoree AARP The Magazine
Jazz Impresario George Wein 2005 Inspire Award Honoree -- AARP The Magazine Advocacy
George Wein In 1950, at age 24, singer-pianist George Wein discovered his true calling. That's when he set up a tiny club in Boston with $5,000 in savings and began booking jazz musicians on a weekly basis. Four years later, he launched the Newport Jazz Festival, which is credited with popularizing music that, until then, had mostly been heard in smoky nightclubs around the country.
Along the way, Wein helped friends like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis develop global followings. In 2004, the Newport festival celebrated its 50th birthday with an acclaimed return to the music's roots. As founder and CEO of Festival Productions, Wein oversees a dozen festivals staged in numerous cities around the world, including a stop in Tokyo, launched in 2004; the flagship JVC Jazz Festival in New York City; and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, a national treasure.
"I can never retire," says the 79-year-old jazz impresario, allowing fans of live music everywhere to heave a collective sigh of relief.
*The name of this award was originally the Impact Award. In 2008, the awards were renamed as the Inspire Awards. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
George Wein Jazz Impresario
Inspire Awards 2005 HonoreesGeorge Wein In 1950, at age 24, singer-pianist George Wein discovered his true calling. That's when he set up a tiny club in Boston with $5,000 in savings and began booking jazz musicians on a weekly basis. Four years later, he launched the Newport Jazz Festival, which is credited with popularizing music that, until then, had mostly been heard in smoky nightclubs around the country.
Along the way, Wein helped friends like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis develop global followings. In 2004, the Newport festival celebrated its 50th birthday with an acclaimed return to the music's roots. As founder and CEO of Festival Productions, Wein oversees a dozen festivals staged in numerous cities around the world, including a stop in Tokyo, launched in 2004; the flagship JVC Jazz Festival in New York City; and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, a national treasure.
"I can never retire," says the 79-year-old jazz impresario, allowing fans of live music everywhere to heave a collective sigh of relief.
*The name of this award was originally the Impact Award. In 2008, the awards were renamed as the Inspire Awards. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures