MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Iconic jazzman Oscar Peterson has died at his home in Ontario, Canada, at the age of 82.
Peterson died Sunday at his home in Mississauga from kidney failure, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.
Peterson shared his love affair with the piano with audiences for more than six decades, CanWest reported. Considered by some to be the best jazz pianist of all time, Peterson made more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards plus a Grammy lifetime achievement award and was named Down Beat magazine's best jazz pianists 13 times.
"You can't just sit down and play the piano. You have to think of phrases, colors, intensities. That's the only way it can be," Peterson said in an interview. "I have to become the piano."
Peterson's most famous compositions are "Canadiana Suite," featuring jazz themes inspired by various Canadian cities and regions, and "Hymn to Freedom."
Peterson was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1978. He also belongs to the Juno Awards Hall of Fame and the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame.
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame granted Peterson a Founder's Award for his legacy and career as a leading pianist.
