Artie Shaw, Swing era icon, dies at 94

NEWBURY PARK, Calif., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Artie Shaw, an innovative clarinetist and prominent Swing era bandleader, has died at the age of 94, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The cause of his death Thursday at his California home was not disclosed.

Born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky, Shaw scored his first hit in 1938 with Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine."

"He was a real master of the clarinet, virtually incomparable in the beauty of his tone and unique in his flawless control," said composer Gunther Schuller, who has written extensively about jazz.

Despite the decline of Swing music, he lived to see later generations recognize and embrace his genius.

Reissues of his recordings continued to sell well and a 2003 retrospective album, the 95-track "Self Portrait," was released by Bluebird/BMG and nominated for a Grammy as the best historical album.

Besides his musical talents, he was often in the public eye for his eight marriages, all of which ended in divorce, including nuptials with Hollywood legends Ava Gardner and Lana Turner.