NEED TO KNOW
Renowned jazz musician Ken Peplowski died while sailing on board the Celebrity Summit during the final day of The Jazz Cruise ‘26, the organization has confirmed.
“It’s rare that we have to give bad news to our guests and the community at large,” Lee Mergner, jazz consultant for Signature Cruise Experiences writes in a Feb. 4 blog post. “But on February 1st, the final day of The Jazz Cruise ’26, Ken Peplowski died suddenly. Ken was 66. The cause of his death has yet to be determined.”
Peplowski was on board the Celebrity Summit as part of a seven-day, seven-night Jazz Cruise sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel departed Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 27 and returned to port on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The experience brings nearly 100 musicians together to perform over 200 hours of music in varying configurations, according to the cruise’s website.
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A passenger participating in the cruise tells TMZ the clarinetist and saxophonist was supposed to play in the late afternoon with a quartet; however, he never showed. A search reportedly ensued and he was found dead in his cabin.
“He was always prepared, loved performing with his fellow musicians, and, man, could he play! His dedication to excellence and professionalism was integral to who he was,” Signature Cruise Experiences’ executive director Michael Lazaroff writes in the blog post.
“So when Ken did not show up for a 4 PM show that featured Shelly Berg, one of his closest friends and colleagues, you knew that something was wrong,” he continued. “Our worst fears were soon confirmed. Ken had died.”
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While an official cause of death has yet to be released, Signature Cruise Experiences confirmed Peplowski was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2021. The condition is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“He battled the often fatal disease with a unique combination of courage, fortitude and humor,” Mergner says. “After all, humor was just one of Ken’s many remarkable gifts. He was without question the quickest and sharpest wit amongst all our artists.”
According to Downbeat Magazine’s in memoriam, Peplowski was born on May 23, 1959, in Garfield Heights, Ohio. He went on to study at Cleveland State University before he joined the touring Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In 1984, Peplowski joined clarinet legend Benny Goodman’s last band as a tenor saxophonist and remained in the group until the bandleader’s death in 1986.
Signature Cruise Experiences reports that during the week of the cruise, Peplowski spotlighted his most recent album, Unheard Bird (2024), during a listening party on board.
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The company plans to hold a more extensive remembrance in the future.
Celebrity Cruises did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
