News of his passing comes just days after Jarreau retired from touring. He had been hospitalized for exhaustion.
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The singer was surrounded by family and friends when he died at 5:30 a.m. in Los Angeles, his manager, Joe Gordon, told Ebony Magazine.
The statement on Jarreau's website read in part, "His 2nd priority in life was music. There was no 3rd. His 1st priority, far ahead of the other, was healing or comforting anyone in need. Whether it was emotional pain, or physical discomfort, or any other cause of suffering, he needed to put our minds at ease and our hearts at rest. He needed to see a warm, affirming smile where there had not been one before. Song was just his tool for making that happen."
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Jarreau won seven Grammys over a 50-year career. His biggest single was 1981's "We're in This Love Together." Jarreau was a vocalist on the all-star 1985 track, "We Are the World," and sang the theme to TV's "Moonlighting."
IN MEMORIAM: Celebrities and notable figures who have recently passed away
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Actress/director Sondra Locke died Nov. 3, 2018, at age 74. The Oscar-nominated actress was best known for her films with Clint Eastwood, with whom she had a 13-year relationship.none
Luis Valbuena, a former MLB player who competed for 11 seasons, died in a car crash in Venezuela at age 33.none
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Oscar-winning Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci died on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018 at age 77.none
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Frank Avruch, a TV personality known for playing Bozo the Clown, died at 89 at his Boston home from heart disease.none
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Evangelist Billy Graham has died at age 99, ABC News confirmed.none
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Edwin Hawkins, the gospel singer best known for ''Oh Happy Day,'' died Jan. 15, 2018 from pancreatic cancer. He was 74.none
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A small, private service was being planned for the singer.
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.