Fred Ho (August 10, 1957 – April 12, 2014)

Fred Ho passed away on the morning of Saturday, April 12, 2014 in his home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, ending an eight year battle with metastatic colorectal cancer.

I interviewed Fred Ho last summer for the Earfull, but my relationship with him stemmed much longer than that. I am one of many people who can say I would not be who I am if it weren’t for Fred Ho. Fred, a very close friend of my father’s, served as a kind of musical godfather to me; giving me my first singing gig in his jazz opera “Warrior Sisters” when I was five years old. In the production, I represented a new generation of strength, resilience, and bravery that can be found in women across cultures. His decision to put me in the role, both creatively and ideologically, is something I revisit nearly everyday and was nothing less than profoundly formative to me. I am very grateful to have known him and send my condolences to his vast family of artists, radicals, visionaries, and admirers.

A memorial is being organized for a later date and will be held at BAM Cafe in Brooklyn. A celebration concert with the Eco-Music Big Band will be held later this month on April 23, 2014 with concerts at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm at Ginny’s Supper Club at Red Rooster Harlem. If you didn’t catch my interview with him, please see the link below:

http://altheasullycole.com/2013/10/16/the-earfull-episode-5-fred-ho/