Cosey died on Thursday, May 30 of complications from surgery at Vanguard Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said Mariama Cosey.
Cosey began his musical training on violin before starting grammar school, his daughter said, noting that Cosey's father died when Cosey was 9-years-old.
"That's how he dealt with his father's passing ... and if I had to pick one instance in his life that just really rocked his world, that was it," she said. "I think he tried to spend his time trying to communicate with my granddaddy."
Early 60's, Cosey joined the stuido band at Chess Records in Chicago, playing on records by Etta James, Fontella Bass "Rescue Me" and Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' Wolf Album." Cosey also worked together with Etta James and Chuck Berry.
He was also a member of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He was an early member of The Pharaohs and a group with drummer Maurice White and bassist Louis Satterfield that eventually evolved into Earth, Wind & Fire. Some of his pre-Miles jazz playing is available on albums by Phil Cohran's Artistic Heritage Ensemble.
His explorations of sound brought the attention of Miles Davis to him.
In an interview with music writer George Cole, published on Cole's "The Last Miles" website, Cosey said Davis sought him out, wanted him at the front of the band and told him to turn up his guitar's volume.
In 2003, Cosey appeared on an episode of American television's The People's Court, successfully suing a promoter for failing to pay fully for a Children of Agharta gig.
In 2004, Cosey appeared in the Godfathers and Sons episode of Martin Scorsese's documentary series The Blues. The episode followed Marshall Chess and Chuck D (of Public Enemy) reuniting the musicians from Muddy Waters' Electric Mud album to record a new track.
Mariama Cosey said music was a language to his father.
"He taught me that music is not genre-specific. It's one way that everyone around the world communicates," she said. "It wasn't about being black or white, but it was about making notes universally."
What a painful lost.
