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Michael Wofford (February 28, 1938 – September 19, 2025) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He was an accompanist to singers Sarah Vaughan (in 1979) and Ella Fitzgerald (1989–1994). He was known in the jazz community going back to the 1960s for the albums Strawberry Wine and Summer Night. He performed with Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Joe Pass, Shelly Manne, Kenny Burrell, and Zoot Sims.
Wofford attended Point Loma High School, where he embraced his love for jazz as a sophomore. He played in area bands with men such as John Guerin, Don Sleet, and Gary Lefebvre. At age 19, the San Diego Symphony performed two compositions of his which he had written at age 14 and 18 respectively. He attended San Diego State College but dropped out after a semester due to lack of devotion.
In 1959, he accepted an invitation to play in Howard Rumsey's band, the Lighthouse All Stars. After moving to Los Angeles, he was featured as the pianist in Mel Tormé's 1962 album Comin' Home Baby!. Through an association with Oliver Nelson, he also worked on Film score for works such as M*A*S*H, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Merv Griffin Show, The Bill Cosby Show, and You've Got Mail; he also did pop-music sessions with figures such as Joan Baez, The Jackson 5, John Lennon, and Cher.
In 1964, record producer Albert Marx discovered Wofford and signed him and his trio (John Guerin on Jazz drumming and John Doling on Jazz bass) to Epic Records. In 1966, Wofford released his first solo album, Strawberry Wine, which received critical acclaim. He continued touring with various prominent artists and recording before moving back to San Diego in the late 1970s. He continued to work with various artists, including George Lewis, Sérgio Mendes, Quincy Jones, James Moody, Harry Nilsson, Zoot Sims, John Klemmer, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald, becoming the latter two's pianist and conductor from 1979 to 1983 and 1989 to 1994 respectively.
In 2000, Wofford married flutist Holly Hofmann; they recorded a 2006 duo album together at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in the San Diego neighborhood of La Jolla. The couple had three children: Melissa, Christopher, and Michael Wofford Jr.
Wofford died from hyponatremia on September 19, 2025, at the age of 87.
With Kenny Burrell
With Gil Fuller
With Shelly Manne
With Oliver Nelson
With Howard Roberts
With Sonny Stitt
With Gerald Wilson
With Kenny Rankin
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