I certainly enjoyed Susan Reines’ piece on Miles Davis and his paintings. It was quite informative. There were two glaring errors, however. Ella Fitzgerald never had a drug problem and died in 1996 following a major heart problem, which had resulted in one of her legs being amputated.
Reines also referred to John Coltrane as dying from drug addiction. Coltrane, who died in 1967 at the age of 40, had long since given up heroin and had become renowned not only for his innovative tenor saxophone solos, but also for the spiritual quality that he brought to his music.
Peter Levinson
Editor’s note: John Coltrane died of liver disease in 1967. Ella Fitzgerald underwent a quintuple coronary bypass in 1986, and suffered from diabetes. At age 76, both her legs were amputated. She died in 1996. It is believed she died from complications from diabetes.