Chuck Mangione, Jazz Legend and King of the Hill Regular, Dies at 84

Legendary Jazz musician, composer, and King of the Hill regular Chuck Mangione has died astatine 84.

TMZ reported connected the celebrated brass artist’s passing today, saying that helium died of earthy causes successful his Rochester, New York, home. The Bartolomeo & Perreto Funeral Home adds (via RochesterFirst) that Mangione died successful his slumber Tuesday.

Mangione’s vocation successful euphony traces backmost to the 1960s, wherever helium managed to footwear disconnected his beingness arsenic a nonrecreational instrumentalist alongside his brother, Gap, with records similar Hey Baby! and Spring Fever. Mangione emerged arsenic 1 of the astir notable, recognizable jazz musicians of the period acknowledgment to ‘70s hits similar Give It All You Got, Bellavia, and, astir famously, Feels So Good.

Chuck Mangione. Photo by David Redfern/Redferns.

Feels So Good is nary uncertainty the Grammy-winning flugelhorn player’s biggest song, coming successful arsenic his most-listened-to way astatine much than 21.7 cardinal plays connected Spotify. Since its 1978 debut, the way has been featured successful Friends, Zombieland, South Park, Doctor Strange, Life After Beth, and truthful overmuch more.

Jazz isn’t rather the mainstream occurrence it was 50 years ago, but Mangione inactive managed to find his mode to the nationalist oculus contempt letting his jazz playing bash the talking for decades. While helium guest-starred successful projects similar Magnum, P.I., arsenic good arsenic Canadian children’s tv bid Sharon, Lois & Bram’s Elephant Show successful the ‘80s, it’s King of the Hill that mightiness beryllium his crowning accomplishment successful presumption of on-screen work.

Mangione appeared successful aggregate episodes of Mike Judge and Greg Daniels’ classical Texas-set show, showing up arsenic a spokesperson for the fictional superstore, Mega Lo Mart. It was a recurring relation that enactment jazz beforehand and center, sneaking successful references to tracks similar Feels So Good portion giving him a speaking relation connected much than 1 occasion.

It’s unclear if Mangione returned to play immoderate benignant of relation successful Hulu’s King of the Hill revival, which is slated to premiere August 4, 2025. In the meantime, fans of his enactment person taken to societal media to observe his beingness and mourn his passing with segments of his euphony and highlights from his appearances connected the show.

Chuck Mangione, the flugelhorn fable down “Feels So Good,” has passed distant astatine 84. His euphony made jazz joyful, hearts lighter, and adjacent King of the Hill cooler. Rest easy, Chuck — your melodies volition play connected forever. pic.twitter.com/wttT6FVEwG

Everything I cognize astir Chuck Mangione is from King of the Hill pic.twitter.com/2I7El2LV50

RIP Chuck Mangione pic.twitter.com/1PZfcu84d2

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance contributor with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).