Jazzman dies three days after being diagnosed with cancer

An award-winning jazz trumpeter has died of cancer a day after marrying his girlfriend.

Abram Wilson, 38, who had made London his home for the last decade, had no idea he was suffering from the disease and was only diagnosed three days before his death.

His wife Jennie Cashman, 31, said: “He didn’t know he was ill. None of us did. They had to do tests to confirm what it was and I think everyone was hoping it was some kind of strange thing he had. He was formally diagnosed on Wednesday and died on Saturday.”

Mr Wilson, who was brought up in New Orleans, had suffered stomach pains on his most recent tour and went to St Thomas’ hospital the day after what proved to be his final gig. Before he died, nurses at the hospital decorated a room so that they could fulfil a long-term plan to marry.

Ms Cashman said: “He had already proposed to me. The nurses decorated a whole room for us and made it look really pretty.”

Despite the suddenness of his death, she did not think her husband would have wanted to have spent months having treatment.

“What Abram was able to do was to play until he couldn’t play any more. He refused to cancel those dates because he loved his music. He thought the show must go on.”

Mr Wilson had originally come to London en route to see Quincy Jones in Paris in 2002 but never left. “I think probably the reason he stayed was because he was able to forge a career here and got a lot of support from the jazz community,” Ms Cashman added. Mr Wilson won a British Jazz Award in 2007 and had been nominated for a Mobo. Now Ms Cashman, who lived with Mr Wilson in Rotherhithe, hopes to establish a foundation to continue his work.

Projects include a musical theatre work on the life of Philippa Schuyler, an American mixed-race piano prodigy and teacher. Ms Cashman added: “He packed a lot into his life. He didn’t like sleeping, he wanted to get up and take advantage of every single minute.

He dreamt big every day.” The funeral is being arranged.