Biography:

Clon Von Fitz, musician, guitarist and educator, passed peacefully November 9, 2013.

A gathering to celebrate his life will be held December 22, 2013 at 5 p.m. at Las Margaritas Restaurant, 541 West Dimond Blvd. in Anchorage.

Clon was born December 16, 1924, to Andrew and Beatrice Fitz in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

After a stint in the US Navy Clon “cut his teeth” musically sitting in and playing at sessions and gigs in the Midwest, eventually making his way to the West Coast. There he played in the Bay area and joined Charles Brown’s group in 1965. This classic organ trio setting was one that Clon loved and it allowed him to showcase his unwavering ability to swing the groove hard. While in the Bay area Clon also met Stanley Willis, a pianist that he would do many gigs with later in Anchorage.

Clon moved north to Anchorage in 1966 and immediately set the bar higher for the Jazz players in town. He played the circuit of Anchorage’s Jazz clubs and after hours establishments such as the Starlight Lounge (where he backed Etta James during her stay in Anchorage), The Mermaid Room, The Jazz Den, The Black Orchid, and others. He also met his wife Ethel shortly after arriving in Anchorage and they remained together lovingly until her passing in July 1993.

Clon was best known for his kind, generous and giving spirit, which he shared selflessly with any musicians he came in contact with, especially younger players. Although he would take musicians to task on the bandstand (he once fired the head professor of UAA’s Jazz Program from a gig) he always had time to teach and share his extensive knowledge and understanding of the music he loved, Jazz. Known as Anchorage’s ‘Godfather of Jazz’, he was highly respected by both musicians and the Jazz community. His presence may be missed, but Clon will always live in the hearts of those who knew him.

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