Leading American Jazz Radio Host, Providence-Born Eric Jackson Dies at 72

Leading American Jazz Radio Host, Providence-Born Eric Jackson Dies at 72

Eric Jackson, who has hosted the Eric in the Evening jazz broadcast on GBH Radio since 1981, died Saturday morning. He was 72.

Jackson was born in Providence and was a national figure in jazz.

Jackson was an award-winning radio announcer and producer who has been on the air in Boston for 50 years. For the last four decades, he has hosted a jazz program on WGBH. His radio work has not been limited to jazz. He has produced a public affairs show,  hosted and programmed a show featuring a variety of styles of music for several years, and was the scriptwriter and narrator for a 30 episode weekly show on the history of African American music, according to his bio.

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Jackson taught at both Simmons College (now University) and Wheelock College. For years he served as Visiting Lecturer at Longy School of Music.

Frequently requested as a lecturer, he has spoken at Brown University, Providence College and Leeds College of Music (U.K.) and other educational institutions. In addition, he has lectured at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and The Museum of African American History and several other museums.

The WGBH wrote, “Eric was known widely as the 'Dean of Boston Jazz Radio.' For more than 50 years, he inspired audiences in Boston and across the world with his unmatched knowledge of Jazz and the history of African American music. Eric first joined GBH as a regular host in 1977, quickly emerging as one of public broadcasting’s most popular and knowledgeable on-air personalities. He shared his knowledge and his love of music with all of us, inspiring future generations of musicians, broadcasters and music lovers. Thank you, Eric, for sharing the joy you found in music with us."