Over the weekend, jazz music lost one of its greats in the face of trumpet maestro Clark Terry. He died at the age of 94. In recent years, Terry played in the Tonight Show band, but over his 7-decade-long career, he has shined as a leader and a sideman in both big bands and smaller ensembles. 

In 2010, he received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy for his contributions to jazz music. Among the most prolific and widely admired instrumentalists in jazz, Terry led or co-led more than 80 recording dates and played on more than 900 sessions by the time of his last session in 2004.

He entered hospice care on February 13 this year, suffering with the effects of advanced diabetes. "He left us peacefully, surrounded by his family, students and friends," his wife Gwen wrote on his Facebook page Saturday.

More: Daniel Radcliffe Wows The Tonight Show with His Rap Skills

Also proficient on flugelhorn, Terry was best known to the general public as a longtime featured soloist in the house band of NBC's "The Tonight Show." In 1960, he became the first African-American staff musician with the network.

His wife's heartfelt message continued: "Clark has known and played with so many amazing people in his life. He has found great joy in his friendships and his greatest passion was spending time with his students. We will miss him every minute of every day, but he will live on through the beautiful music and positivity that he gave to the world. Clark will live in our hearts forever."