John Hicks, 65; Pianist With Art Blakey’s Band, Jazz History Teacher

John Hicks, 65, a jazz pianist whose versatility and range made him a preeminent sideman for a wide array of top performers, died Tuesday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City after a bout of internal bleeding.

The son of a minister, Hicks was born in Atlanta and began playing piano at age 6. He played for the church choir as a teenager and later studied music at Lincoln University in Missouri and the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Some of his early professional jobs were for blues giants Little Milton and Albert King.

In the 1960s, Hicks moved to New York and played with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers before joining Betty Carter’s backing band and later Woody Herman’s band.

He led his own groups in the 1970s and taught jazz history at Southern Illinois University.

He later worked with saxophonists Pharoah Sanders and Joshua Redman and was a frequent member of the Mingus Big Band.