Who is Chick Corea's wife Gayle Moran? How love blossomed at the Church of Scientology before tragic death at 79
Chick Corea, the acclaimed jazz composer, keyboardist, passed away from a rare form of cancer at the age of 79. The news of his passing was announced on his official Facebook page. Coreo, who won 23 Grammy Awards, is survived by his second wife, a fellow pianist Gayle Moran and son Thaddeus.
Corea left a heartfelt message to his fans where he thanked everyone who helped him achieve his dreams. He also thanked his friends from the musical circle who have been like a family to him. He added that “it has been a blessing and an honor learning from and playing with all of you. My mission has always been to bring the joy of creating anywhere I could, and to have done so with all the artists that I admire so dearly — this has been the richness of my life.”
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Corea was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts. From a young age, he was encouraged by his father to play the piano. Corea had a deep inclination towards Beethoven and Mozart's work, but he also credited bop keyboardists Horace Silver and Bud Powell for inspiring his earlier works. Coreo started to work as a sideman, where his work got the attention of trumpeter Blue Mitchell and flutist Herbie Mann.
Coreo will be remembered for his distinguished performances with pianist Herbie Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He also founded the all-star unit, The 5 Peace Band, with guitarist John McLaughlin.
Who is Gayle Moran?
Moran, 79, is a famous songwriter and vocalist, born in Spring Arbor, Michigan. Moran graduated from Spring Arbor High School in 1961. During the mid-1970s, Moran remained a prominent member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, appearing on ‘Apocalypse’ and ‘Visions of the Emerald Beyond’.
Just like her husband, Moran also followed the Church of Scientology. In an earlier interview dated back to 2016, Corea revealed that when the church established its base in Clearwater in the late ‘70s, he made regular visits to the place with Moran.
“We kept coming down, and after a while, I was spending weeks down in Clearwater, renting rooms. We rented a house for one year as a trial to live down there in Belleair, right on the water. It was a gorgeous place. And that was when we decided … Look, let’s just get a nice place and settle in.”
Following her work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Moran appeared on multiple recordings by Corea, including ‘The Leprechaun’, ‘My Spanish Heart’, ‘The Mad Hatter’, ‘Secret Agent’, and ‘Touchstone’. Coreo once stated that he was delighted to find Moran as the way she sings “pleases me very much; it fills out the kind of music that I like to make”. He added that Moran’s voice adds a very aesthetic element to his music that he enjoys.
Apart from collaborating with Corea, whom she married in 1972. Moran also guest appeared on Mark Isham’s album ‘Castalia’ and had also worked on the Davis Sancious' ‘Transformation’.