From John Gill, Collier’s life partner:
Jazz composer Graham Collier, born James Graham Collier in Tynemouth, northern England, on 21 February 1937, named James after an uncle but known throughout his life as Graham because his mother feared the prospect of people abbreviating him to “Jimmy”, died suddenly on Friday 9 September 2011, of heart failure in the general hospital of Hania, on Crete, where we were on holiday.
As his life partner of 35 years, I can at least say that it was very quick, he was unconscious and in no pain, and I was with him. If some external agency had told me I had to choose a way for him to go, I would choose something like that.
I have been overwhelmed but also buoyed by the messages of affection for Graham that started arriving mere hours after he died. The idea for this impromptu re-arrangement of Graham’s web site is to post an informal note of his death, and to begin collating the many tributes to him that are still appearing.
• Graham Collier: http://www.grahamcolliermusic.com
• Jazz Continuum: http://www.jazzcontinuum.com