Gordon 'Specs' Powell, 85; Pioneering Percussionist

Gordon "Specs" Powell was one of the first black musicians to play for a national television network. (Associated Press)

Gordon "Specs" Powell, 85, a jazz drummer who recorded with Billie Holiday and played for "The Ed Sullivan Show" as part of the CBS network orchestra, died Sept. 5 at a care center near his home in San Marcos, Calif. He had kidney disease and a heart ailment.

Mr. Powell began his career doubling as a pianist but rose to prominence as a drummer during the swing era and became a fixture on the 52nd Street jazz scene in New York.

In 1943, he was hired by CBS, becoming one of the first black musicians to play for a national network.

Mr. Powell was a versatile percussionist who carried a kit filled with castanets, clickers and other noisemakers he referred to as his "bag of tricks."

The demands of the Sullivan show prompted him to ask instrument maker Martin Cohen to invent a stand that would allow him to play his bongo drums standing up, instead of slowing down to settle them between his knees.

Mr. Powell was born in New York on June 5, 1922. He worked with a number of jazz greats, including Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker and Red Norvo.

He stayed with CBS until 1972, playing for "The Jackie Gleason Show," "Candid Camera" and other programs as well as for the Sullivan show.

Mr. Powell later moved to the Virgin Islands, where he played a final show with Dave Brubeck, said Del Fiorentino, a historian for the International Music Products Association.

Mr. Powell and his wife, Peggy, retired to San Diego.

Besides his wife, survivors include three children.