On September 12, 2014, Joseph Leslie “Joe” Sample died aged 75. He was musician (piano, keyboards) and composer, one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders (Crusaders from 1971), and has performed with some of the biggest names of the contemporary music, including Miles Davis, The Supremes, George Benson, B.B King, Jimmy Witherspoon, Eric Clapton and Steely Dan.