Who killed Lenny Breau?

**princeplanet** · 07-29-2009, 01:57 PM

And why??

**Jake Hanlon** · 07-29-2009, 02:25 PM

Suicide I think was the official explanation of his death.

Ask his Daughter who she thought was responsible. It's been a subject of debate amongst canadian jazz guitar fans since his passing.

If he was Murdered, most people speculate it was drug related. Lenny had a huge substance problem which I've had communicated to me with many sad storries by people who he worked with for many years who are friends of mine. Some are funny if they weren't so damn tragic.

**randalljazz** · 07-29-2009, 05:30 PM

from a review of this book:

One Long Tune: The Life and Music of Lenny Breau
By Ron Forbes-Roberts
University of North Texas Press
325 pages

"One Long Tune" makes it abundantly clear that one of Breau's worst decisions was his marriage to Jewel Taylor in 1980. Worse still, after it was apparent to family, friends and Breau himself that she was an abusive spouse (physically as well as mentally), he magnified that bad decision by going back to her time and again after they had separated. It proved to be his ultimate undoing.

Lenny Breau was found dead in the rooftop swimming pool of his apartment building on Aug. 12, 1984. He was 43 years old. His wife claimed that he drowned, but an autopsy determined that he had been strangled and then dumped in the pool. The Los Angeles Police never had enough evidence to bring charges, but in a 1999 Canadian documentary Detective Richard Aldahl stated that Jewel Breau was the primary suspect. (Jewel Breau declined to be interviewed for "One Long Tune".) Lenny Breau's murder remains unsolved.

read the whole review here:

Hickory Wind | Lenny Breau's Sad Song

**princeplanet** · 07-29-2009, 11:19 PM

in other words, if true, then she got away with it, a monumental travesty, if it can be believed.....

**NSJ** · 07-30-2009, 12:20 AM

I had always assumed it was a drug-related thing in some way, a la Chet Baker. "The autopsy" proved that he was strangled????? Holey Moley and Wow. Unbelievable. Where is the justice?? Is someone asleep at the wheel or something?

**franco6719** · 07-30-2009, 07:43 AM

I'm pretty convinced the wife did it, but I'm not a lawyer and it's only circumstantial, I suppose.

**franco6719** · 07-30-2009, 07:46 AM

And why??

Probably inheritance money or something like that. Maybe it can be reopened as a Cold Case?

**mangotango** · 07-30-2009, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by NSJ

I had always assumed it was a drug-related thing in some way, a la Chet Baker. "The autopsy" proved that he was strangled????? Holey Moley and Wow. Unbelievable. Where is the justice?? Is someone asleep at the wheel or something?

There is no justice.

There's just us.

Jazzarian · 08-11-2009, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by NSJ

I had always assumed it was a drug-related thing in some way, a la Chet Baker. "The autopsy" proved that he was strangled????? Holey Moley and Wow. Unbelievable. Where is the justice?? Is someone asleep at the wheel or something?

Dudley DoRight didn't get his man, it would seem.

Maybe if those Canadians got off their high horse now and then they'd solve something........

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 08-11-2009, 12:56 AM

Er, didn't he die in LA?

**Metal Fingers** · 08-11-2009, 01:58 AM

what the heck eh?

Jazzarian I'm thinking you're more aryan than jazz.

Jazzarian · 08-11-2009, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by Metal Fingers

what the heck eh?

Jazzarian I'm thinking you're more aryan than jazz.

If that's what you call an adult, fine. Yes I am an adult. As such I don't like metal and I don't like (c)rap-hop. Get used to it.

**EDesa** · 08-11-2009, 06:36 PM

Ugh...anyhow back to the original topic...

That biography, "One Long Tune", is a great read. I highly recommended it to anyone - especially to any of us here in Toronto! There are a lot of great stories from when he was playing with local guys around here. I actually know a local sax player who actually used to play with him and as such has a few incredible stories about Lenny and his playing. This guy actually claims to have been the one who taught Lenny McCoy Tyner's tune, "Visions". Now I of course can't verify it and it's definitely not in the book - but it makes for an interesting anecdote on his part anyways!

Evan

**squeally dan** · 08-13-2009, 05:27 PM

What is his best recording? I like Cabin Fever but haven't heard any of his other stuff.

**zappafan99** · 04-14-2010, 07:15 PM

I think it was Terry Rosen.

**Jazzyteach65** · 04-15-2010, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by princeplanet

And why??

I actually KNOW who killed him. One of my former teachers and fellow Las Vegas jazz guitarist Raj Rathor, who helped write Lenny's bio, and who housed Lenny in his final days, told me it WAS his wife, and out of jealousy and metal anguish

**derek** · 04-15-2010, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Jazzyteach65

I actually KNOW who killed him. One of my former teachers and fellow Las Vegas jazz guitarist Raj Rathor, who helped write Lenny's bio, and who housed Lenny in his final days, told me it WAS his wife, and out of jealousy and metal anguish

If anyone knew for sure, I imagine the LA DA would have brought charges. However, they are only going to do that if they think they have a case. Clearly not enough evidence. The author of One Long Tune certainly believes that.

**Jazzyteach65** · 04-15-2010, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by derek

If anyone knew for sure, I imagine the LA DA would have brought charges. However, they are only going to do that if they think they have a case. Clearly not enough evidence. The author of One Long Tune certainly believes that.

Read this excerp from "One Long Tune,"
One long tune: the life and music of ... - Google Books

Page 268-271, the last few days of Lenny's life. Raj told me specifically about that day during one of our lessons together.

He said the last time he saw Lenny play, Lenny's wife came and interrupted his set, and it pissed him off. There was clearly tension between the two, but Lenny decided he was going back to Jewel. That was the last he was heard from other than Joe Diorio.

The next thing you know, he was killed. The ONLY person who was with Lenny was Jewel, whom he had gotten in an argument with earlier on, and she was enraged. There was clearly no struggle when he died. His guitar or other possesions were not taken, so one could possibly rule out drug dealers ect, even though he did owe people money. The autopsy revealed that he did not die of overdose or natural causes.

Seeing that he and Jewel had a heated relationship, and she had a history of violence, which people close to him warned him of (Raj Rathor and Joe Diorio) she did kill him. How did she not get convicted? Not enough evidence. Keep in mind that forensics back then were NOT as advanced as they are today. That plus loopholes got her cleared

**Jazzyteach65** · 04-15-2010, 11:45 AM

Page 263-

Look at what Jewel says and how abusive she is when she rants about his genious

**Jazzyteach65** · 04-15-2010, 11:55 AM

Oh, and his daughter is a lovely artist
Emily Hughes - Director / Producer - Soft and Groovy Productions - Lenny Breau Documentary - The Genius of Lenny Breau - DVD - Jazz Guitar

**Drumbler** · 04-15-2010, 03:39 PM

I wouldn't advise my kid to go into the entertainment business.

It's ugly.

**markf** · 04-15-2010, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by EDesa

Ugh...anyhow back to the original topic...

That biography, "One Long Tune", is a great read. I highly recommended it

I know a local sax player who actually used to play with him and as such has a few incredible stories about Lenny and his playing. This guy actually claims to have been the one who taught Lenny McCoy Tyner's tune, "Visions".

Evan

maybe, or maybe not.

I live in Winnipeg. I saw Lenny play many times, met him, a lot of Wpg guys took lessons from him.

He was a very nice, friendly, humble guy.

I went to a Chinese restaurant if you can believe it, Lenny was playing there, while diners were chowing down on chicken guy kew.

If you ever feel like people are ignoring your music, just remember that. Lenny Breau upstaged by chicken chow mein.

but,

Lenny was playing "vision" while he lived here (I copied and learned his version of it....just the tune itself)

and he moved to Toronto after that. I spose he could have been in Toronto at some point and learned it from a sax player. or not.

The drummer (Reg Kelln) and Bass/guitar player (Ron Halldorson) who played with Lenny on his first album, still live here and play around town.

And, I agree that is a good book, very sad, and a lot like the Jaco biography.

**Davo** · 11-08-2010, 07:13 PM

Hi folks. I just ran into a guitar player here in Nashville (I'm a retired trumpet player) and we soon found that we both knew Lenny 'back in the day.' He told me that Lenny has become a widely known legend as he certainly deserved to be. But I'm astounded at the amount of info that came up when I 'Googled' him up. Wow! That's how I found this forum.

Throughout the 70's and into the 80's Lenny spent about 3 months every year in Toronto, 3 months in L.A., 3 in Nashville, and 3 in NY. That seemed to be his life at the time. Several of us took turns being Lenny's "keeper" while he was in Nashville. I would go and find him passed out on the floor of a dirty apartment, bring him around, then take him out and put food in him to keep him alive. With Lenny, you just never knew when you'd get the bad news that we all knew was coming.

He met Jewel and things changed...............for the better. I'm not challenging the negative opinions of her shared here and elsewhere, but I'm here to testify that there was another side to the story as well. She cleaned him up, got him sober and healthy, and got him focused again on his career. He even got straight enough for me to take him into a studio for some recording that I have never bothered to mix down. Great music, of course, but to get the real essence of his genius, you needed to have him in a small club atmosphere, surrounded by his friends. The studio just couldn't bring out the natural "performer" in this man. Incidentally, another mutual friend, the late Richard Cotten, did exactly that.............recorded miles and miles of live performances, most of which Richard accompanied Lenny on bass. I wonder where those recordings ever ended up.

The Nashville Jazz Machine was an 18-piece rehearsal band made up of Nashville's 'A-team' of studio players back then. As I was privileged to serve as the band's leader, I constantly got calls from club owners to help them find and book small groups for the resurgence in jazz popularity we were enjoying at the time. Jewel would call me from L.A., tell me they would be in Nashville in a couple of weeks, and ask me to get Lenny some work. She was so protective of him she would always remind me to have a room away from the crowd that we could rush Lenny to between sets, before the dealers and ignorant hangers-on could get to him and get him high. He had no self control whatsoever.

Now, maybe Jewel was his killer, and maybe not. But what I saw was a woman dedicated to Lenny's protection and well-being. Lenny was reported to have been strangled. Do you know how much physical strength it takes to strangle another human being? Do you realize how much time one must hold the victims throat shut? Much more time and strength than the movies portray, and certainly much more than most women are capable of. Besides, Lenny had a short neck, and that would make strangulation even more physically difficult for anyone to succeed with. And forget the "inheritance" motive...........Lenny never had 2 quarters to rub together all the years I knew him.

I hope you guitar guys don't mind this old trumpet player encroaching into your domain here. But I just thought you might like to hear another side to the tragic saga surrounding the genius we were blessed to know, Lenny Breau.

Dave Converse