Music

The world's longest active orchestra musician died doing what she loved

by Jeremy Mersereau

If there’s a perfect way to go out as the world’s longest-tenured orchestra musician, Jane Little of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra may have found it. During an encore performance of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” from the classic musical Annie Get Your Gun, the 87-year-old bassist collapsed and lost consciousness. She died shortly thereafter.

Little was said to be the longest active orchestra musician in the world, as she had been performing as a bassist in the Atlanta area since 1945, when she was just 16 years old. Last February, Little officially surpassed the record for longest playing orchestra musician set by Utah symphony violinist Frances Darger, who had played for 70 years straight before retiring in 2012.

“We can say that Jane was fortunate to do what she loved until the very end of her storied life and career,” a post on the ASO’s Facebook page says. “The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra was truly blessed to have Jane as part of our family for the past 71 years and we all miss her passion, vitality, spirit and incredible talent.”

“Hollywood could not have scripted it better,” said Paul Murphy, the orchestra’s associate principal viola, told the Washington Post.”For her to go out at the end of a concert, the golden age of Broadway, and it was during the encore,” said Russell Williamson, the orchestra’s senior manager. “The words are ‘let’s go on with the show.'”

[h/t Washington Post]