Percussionist and educator Jerry Steinholtz died on Dec. 7, 2013 at age 76.

Steinholtz played live and recorded with such studiodrummers and percussionists as Emil Richards, Harvey Mason, Peter Erskine, JohnGuerin, Joe Porcaro, Steve Schaeffer, Larry Londin, Ralph Humphrey, EarlPalmer, Louie Bellson, Chester Thompson, Roy McCurdy, Buddy Rich, and MelLewis, just to name a few.

He toured and recorded with Lee Ritenour Diana Ross, and theFour Tops, and spent eight years free-lance recording for Motown Records. His creditsalso include Lani Hall, The Carpenters, Gladys Knight, Paul Anka, SteveLawrence and Eydie Gorme, Freda Payne, Phyllis Hyman, and Michael Franks.

He was also active as an educator. He made a video, Essenceof Playing Conga, for Interworld Music, and taught Latinand Brazillian hand percussion at California State University, Northridge(CSUN). He started the percussion program at Dick Grove’s School of Music inVan Nuys, California, and ran the program for five years. He was also onfaculty at Hamilton High School Academy of the Arts in Los Angeles, andCo-Director of Percussion at the Los Angeles Music Academy (LAMA) in Pasadena,California. He gave clinics and master classes throughout the world, includingconventions for such associations as the National Association of MusicMerchants (NAMM), Texas Band Director’s Association (TBA), the Music Educator’sNational Convention (MENC), the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), theInternational Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), the Musik Messe inFrankfurt, Germany, and the British Music Fair in London, England. He was aconsultant in product development and design for numerous percussionmanufacturers, including Toca, Remo, and Calato.