Ellis Marsalis Sr., 96, musical family patriarch

NEW ORLEANS -- Ellis L. Marsalis Sr., patriarch of the family of jazz greats that includes his grandsons Wynton and Branford, died Sunday at an area hospital. He was 96.

Mr. Marsalis became active in both the civil rights movement and the music of jazz. And his conduit to both worlds was a barn along the Mississippi River.

Originally a poultry farmer, Mr. Marsalis converted that barn in 1943 into a 40-room motel. The site catered to blacks, who were not allowed to stay in New Orleans hotels because of racial discrimination.

The Marsalis Motel quickly became famous for its well-appointed rooms, fancy restaurant, and shaded gardens. Its clients included such civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and US Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

The motel was also known for its great jazz. It attracted some of the best musicians in the United States, who helped foster a love of jazz among the members of the Marsalis family, including his son Ellis Marsalis Jr., a famed pianist of the Delta area and a music professor who mentored crooner Harry Connick Jr. as well as four musician sons: Wynton, the trumpeter; saxophonist Branford; trombonist Delfeayo; and drummer Jason.

The longer the senior Marsalis ran the business, the more active he became in the civil rights struggle and supporting minorities in New Orleans.

"He was such a meek and humble person, a soft, soft personality, but stern in his beliefs," said the Rev. Marie Galatas, a New Orleans minister and lifelong civil rights activist. "He took on the Jim Crow, the segregation, and the racism, but he never held the hate," Galatas said.

Ironically, as civil rights for blacks improved, business for Mr. Marsalis flagged. In the 1960s, when legislation allowed blacks to stay at New Orleans hotels, his business tumbled. In 1986, the facility closed and was later demolished.

In addition to his son, Mr. Marsalis leaves a daughter and seven grandchildren.

A funeral is scheduled for today in New Orleans.