The clarinetist and saxophonist collaborated with Benny Goodman, Rosemary Clooney, Woody Allen, and more.

Jazz legend Ken Peplowski found dead on cruise ship after missing performance

The clarinetist and saxophonist collaborated with Benny Goodman, Rosemary Clooney, Woody Allen, and more.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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February 4, 2026 3:35 p.m. ET

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Ken Peplowski in New York City on May 1, 2018. Credit:

Jack Vartoogian/Getty

Ken Peplowski, the beloved jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, has died.

The musician was found dead at 66 on board the *Celebrity Summit* cruise ship on Sunday, the final day of The Jazz Cruise '26, representatives for Signature Cruise Experiences confirmed in a blog post on Wednesday. A cause of death was not immediately available.

Michael Lazaroff, the executive director for the cruise, said that Peplowski's death was discovered after he missed a performance on the ship.

"I do not know any musician who respected the bandstand more than Ken. 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," he wrote. "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. Our worst fears were soon confirmed. Ken had died."

Ken Peplowski in Vienne, France, in 1995.

David Redfern/Redferns

Lee Mergner, a jazz consultant for the cruise, said that Peplowski was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2021. "He battled the often fatal disease with a unique combination of courage, fortitude and humor," he said. "He was a friend to me, but he was a friend to many people. That was clear when he went public with his illness and the jazz community, including fans and fellow musicians, came forward during his time of need with support (both economic and emotional)."

Peplowski had performances scheduled in San Diego later this month, as well as a performance with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Evening of Jazz scheduled for March.

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Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1959, Peplowski began performing music in his youth, booking his first professional engagement while still in elementary school.

"From my first time performing in public, I knew I wanted to play music for a living," he said of that performance, according to his website.

Peplowski and his trumpeter brother, Ted, frequently performed at weddings and dances throughout high school, and also played on several local TV and radio shows. "That's where I learned to improvise, 'fake' songs, learn about chord changes, etc.," he said. "it's exactly like learning to swim by being thrown into the water!"

The musician joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, which was led by Buddy Morrow, after his first year of college, and moved to New York City in 1980.

Ken Peplowski in Brecon, Wales, in 1998.

David Redfern/Redferns

Legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman hired Peplowski to play tenor saxophone in his new outfit in 1984 after coming out of retirement. He released over a dozen albums for Concord Records as a bandleader, not to mention dozens more as a sideman for artists like Charlie Byrd, Leon Redbone, Susannah McCorkle, Dick Hyman, and Mel Torme. He also collaborated with the likes of Madonna, Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing, James Moody, and many more.

Peplowski also contributed to the soundtrack of Woody Allen's 1999 jazz dramedy *Sweet and Lowdown*, and collaborated with the director again when he appeared on screen as a Rainbow Room musician in 2001's *The Curse of the Jade Scorpion*.

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The musician served as the artistic director of the Sarasota Jazz Festival, the Newport Beach Jazz Party, and the Oregon Coast Jazz Party in Newport, Ore. He also led numerous workshops for young musicians.

"My goal is to get the students to learn how to teach themselves, and to learn how to bring out their own best qualities; after all, jazz is about individuality," he said. "First you learn the rules, then you break them. I would like to think of myself as a lifelong student!"**

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