Musician Chuck Mangione dies at age 84

Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Chuck Mangione, a Grammy-winning jazz musician best known for his 1978 hit single “Feels So Good,” died Tuesday in his sleep at his Rochester home, according to a statement from his family. He was 84.

His family released a statement which reads in part, “His career as an internationally acclaimed recording artist, flugelhorn player and composer began as a teenager in collaboration with his brother, Gap, when they formed the Jazz Brothers. This early foundation laid the groundwork for a remarkable 60-year career that would see him record over 30 albums, and be nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning twice.”

Mangione grew up in Rochester and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School. He then attended the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1963 and later returning to lead the school’s jazz ensemble from 1968-1972.

He earned his first Grammy in February 1977, winning Best Instrumental Composition for “Bellavia.”

His song “Feels So Good,” recorded in 1977 for an album of the same name, was released as a single in 1978 and reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Easy Listening (now known as Adult Contemporary) chart.

In February 1979, Mangione earned his second Grammy, winning Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Children of Sanchez.”

The following year, his song “Give It All You Got” was the official theme song of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, with Mangione performing the song at the closing ceremony.

He later went on to have a recurring role on the Fox animated sitcom “King of the Hill,” which debuted in 1997 and featured Mangione portraying himself as a celebrity spokesman for the fictional superstore “Mega Lo Mart.” As part of a running gag, his character would turn any song into “Feels So Good,” no matter the occasion.

Mangione was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 2012.