Memorial Ceremony for Composer Planned in Hollywood Hills

A public memorial service will be held Saturday for Clare Fischer, a Grammy-winning pianist, composer and arranger who worked with jazz and pop artists ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul McCartney.

Fischer died Jan. 26 at age 83 at Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank of complications of a heart attack suffered two weeks earlier, according to family spokeswoman Claris Dodge.

Best known for his arrangements for Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Prince, Usher, Brandy and Branford Marsalis, among others, Fischer got his start in the 1950s as pianist-arranger for the a cappella group the Hi-Lo's.

Fischer went on to work with jazz musicians Gillespie and Donald Byrd, becoming known for his Latin and bossa nova recordings in the 1960s.

He was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, winning for his albums Free Fall in 1986 and Salsa Picante Plus 2 + 2 in 1981.

This year, Fischer was nominated in the instrumental arrangement category for In the Beginning, a track from his 51st album, Continuum, directed and produced by his son, Brent Fischer.

Born in Durand, Mich., Fischer began studying violin and piano in grade school and eventually became interested in classical composition and arranging for dance bands.

He is survived by wife Donna, sons Lee and Brent, daughter Tahlia, older brother Stewart, nephews Andre, Eric, George, Michael, Clare and Matt; and grandchildren Ereston, Alexis, and Logan.

The service will be held at 11 a.m. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.