James L. Lyons

Who was James L. Lyons?

James L. "Jimmy" Lyons was founder of the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival, and was its manager from 1958 until his retirement in 1992.

The first Monterey Jazz Festival opens in September 1958 at Monterey, California, where 67 local businessmen contributed $100 each to back founder Jimmy Lyons in his dream of "having a whole weekend of jazz" in a "sylvan setting with the best jazz people in the whole world playing on the same stage." Participants included performers such as Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars, Dizzy Gillespie, Ernestine Anderson w/Gerald Wiggins, John Lewis, Carmen McRae, Shelly Manne, Art Farmer, Milt Jackson, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck, Cal Tjader Sextet, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Harry James, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Shelly Manne & His Men, Max Roach, Sarah Vaughan, and the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Lyons founded the festival as a non-profit educational corporation, with all proceeds going to support musical education.

In 1994, Jimmy Lyons age 78, died of a heart attack in San Luis Obispo, California.