<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1vQZ8p_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1vQZ8p_0wDbjt4300" width="873" height="491" ></figure>ROGER HUMPHRIES, HIS WIFE AND OLDEST SISTER, HOLDING THE HONORARY STREET SIGN. EAST JEFFERSON STREET IS NOW KNOWN AS “ROGER HUMPHRIES WAY” ON THE NORTH SIDE. (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO) In some online biographies of Roger Humphries, it states first that he is “an American jazz drummer.”“Just” an “American jazz drummer?”Ask the great sculptor Thaddeus Mosley, and he’ll tell you, “that’s the greatest drummer in the world.”Pittsburgh City Councilman Khari Mosley, son of Thaddeus Mosley, told the story on Sept. 27 to all in attendance where Arch Street meets East Jefferson Street, North Side, just off Federal Street. Khari Mosley’s father found out that Khari’s best friend was the nephew of Humphries, and when Humphries’ nephew said Humphries was just “alright” on the drums, that’s when Thaddeus Mosley had to correct “Nephew Kevin” and give Humphries his ultimate “props.”The City of Pittsburgh gave Humphries his ultimate “props” too, as all were there to see East Jefferson Street be renamed “Roger Humphries Way,” for all of his decades of contributions to the world of jazz, music in general, and the people of Pittsburgh.“Life is wonderful; I couldn’t write this script, but by the grace of God, you all are writing it,” were Humphries’ first words when he took the microphone. “I always tell everybody, be nice to people, you never know. You don’t have but one life, and it becomes better and better when you’re nice to people.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=15jQmx_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=15jQmx_0wDbjt4300" width="533" height="953" ></figure>ROGER HUMPHRIES, FAR RIGHT, WITH HIS WIFE, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND POLITICIANS. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)Born in 1944 in Pittsburgh, Humphries’ family learned early on about Humphries’ love of the drums. Humphries would be at the house, not even 4 years old, smacking utensils together. A little while later, the young Humphries had his own set of drums.At age 14, Humphries turned “pro,” something not even LeBron James could do at that age. By age 16, Humphries led an ensemble at Carnegie Music Hall. As a young adult, he was touring with other jazz musicians, like Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott. People like Horace Silver and Carmell Jones. As time went on, he worked with artists like Geri Alan, Richard Groove Holmes, Kenny Blake and Frank Cunimondo. He had his own band, called the RH Factor. Humphries traveled and played around the world.His credits include drumming for Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Joe Henderson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Lee Morgan, Grant Green, Billy Taylor, and so many others.Humphries has received numerous awards and recognitions. He has been in more countries than most, received more standing ovations than most, and been on more boat rides than most.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0jYF6I_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0jYF6I_0wDbjt4300" width="870" height="632" ></figure>ROGER HUMPHRIES JR.Does all that matter to Humphries? Sure, it’s nice. But what he stressed more than anything is what he would always tell the countless number of students that he taught throughout Pittsburgh at CAPA and other venues—the love for family.In the documentary, “Roger Humphries: Pass It On,” by Billy Jackson in 2014, Humphries’ daughter, Mechele Humphries-Hayes, recalled how when she was little, she didn’t spend too much time with her father because he was on the road so much. That’s when Humphries made the decision to return to Pittsburgh full-time.“That was the breaking point,” Humphries said in the documentary.His desire to be with his family, his desire to raise his children and be with them every step of the way, and his desire to mentor and teach other youth the art of jazz, music, confidence and leadership might be how true Pittsburghers remember him most. After all, Humphries learned from the greats like Art Blakey, Max Roach and Joe Harris. And today’s musicians, many of them in Pittsburgh and beyond, can say they learned from Roger Humphries.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0c43ov_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0c43ov_0wDbjt4300" width="441" height="553" ></figure>MUSICIAN DWAYNE DOLPHIN (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)“You’ve been a North Star to all of us, to the community, to Pittsburgh, to the jazz world, you’ve done it all,” said acclaimed bassist Dwayne Dolphin, at the Sept. 27 street renaming event. “So this is the result of all your hard work. Congratulations.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3NXa0v_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3NXa0v_0wDbjt4300" width="517" height="653" ></figure>CITY COUNCILMAN KHARI MOSLEYKhari Mosley added: “You’ve been so gracious in passing the torch to the next generation.”Admittedly, Humphries said he isn’t the greatest public “spokesman” in the world. But everyone at the event wanted to hear what he had to say. After all, it was his day, all gathered on the very street in which he grew up, Jefferson, the street that now bears his own name.“To my wife, thank you for putting up with me all this time, because it’s not easy for people to be married to a musician,” Humphries said. “But she tolerated me to travel all over the world. I got to the point of my life, I’m taking New York City back to Pittsburgh with me. New York is such a place, but Pittsburgh is the foundation. Some of the greatest musicians in the world came from Pittsburgh. There is no other place like Pittsburgh. I’ve been a lot of places, but the love and the music that we have, you can’t buy it.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0hcTo9_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0hcTo9_0wDbjt4300" width="667" height="1000" ></figure>ROGER HUMPHRIES JR.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1UK1AZ_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1UK1AZ_0wDbjt4300" width="667" height="1000" ></figure>MAYOR ED GAINEY’S PRESS SECRETARY, OLGA GEORGE<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0l4JFm_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0l4JFm_0wDbjt4300" width="667" height="1000" ></figure>PAMELA COLLIER, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE MAYOR<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3gpw0K_0wDbjt4300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3gpw0K_0wDbjt4300" width="426" height="535" ></figure>MAYOR ED GAINEY</div></body>

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Incomparable Roger Humphries gets street named after him on the North Side

ROGER HUMPHRIES, HIS WIFE AND OLDEST SISTER, HOLDING THE HONORARY STREET SIGN. EAST JEFFERSON STREET IS NOW KNOWN AS “ROGER HUMPHRIES WAY” ON THE NORTH SIDE. (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO) In some online biographies of Roger Humphries, it states first that he is “an American jazz drummer.”