Known by many as a master of the Hammond B-3 organ, Ike Stubblefield died on June 20 at the age of 69.

Born in 1952 in Toledo, Ohio, Stubblefield started playing organ as a child in church.

He first made a name for himself as a keysman for the Motown Review, backing the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and more.

As time went on his prowess on the B-3 organ saw him expand his musical output, playing with everyone from B.B. King to Curtis Mayfield to The Pointer Sisters to the Jerry Garcia Band.

He was also a frequent in-studio creative collaborator with Quincy Jones.

From 1990-2004, Stubblefield owned and operated The Purple Onion club in Vancouver, and within the jam world he was known to sit-in with the likes of Widespread Panic, Dark Star Orchestra, Gov’t Mule, Derek Trucks Band and many others.

In 1999, he moved to Atlanta where he quickly met Col. Bruce Hampton and joined his band, The Codetalkers. He also continued to foster his deep roots in the New Orleans music community, working with the likes of George Porter Jr. and Papa Mali, among others.

“When you play as long as we’ve played, your ears get trained,” longtime Stubblefield collaborator Grant Green Jr. told ArtsATL.org following his passing. “But Ike had great ears and he was a great musician. He could listen to anything and then play it. He could dissect with his ears songs that aren’t easy to dissect.”

“[Ike] will be sorely missed musically,” friend/trumpet player Joey “Papa J.” Sommerville added. “If you were fortunate enough to have played with him, consider yourself blessed. There’ll never be another one like him.”

Watch Stubblefield’s full 2015 “Piano Night” set for WWOZ below: