Queen Unveils Peterson Statue In Canada
British royal QUEEN ELIZABETH II joined forces with the family of OSCAR PETERSON on Thursday (01Jul10) to unveil a life-size statue of the late jazz legend in his native Canada.
The monarch and her husband Prince Philip helped to celebrate the life of the iconic pianist during a ceremony at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, as part of a nine-day visit to the North American country.
Peterson’s widow, Kelly, revealed the star had been a big fan of the Queen and would have been honoured to have the royal present at the unveiling of the bronze sculpture, which depicts the musician sitting at his famous piano.
Kelly Peterson says, “Oscar would be very humbled by it and also very, very pleased to know how much people loved what he did and care about him.
“And the fact that Her Majesty and Prince Philip are here is an extra special layer – he loved them both.”
Peterson, who collaborated with fellow jazz stars such as Ella Fitzgerald and Charlie Parker, passed away in 2007.
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