Legendary Rochester jazz musician Chuck Mangione, best known for “Feels So Good” and the the 1980 Winter Olympics theme “Give It All You Got,” has died. The trumpet and flugelhorn master was 84.
His family wrote in a statement on July 24, “The family of Chuck Mangione is deeply saddened to share that Chuck peacefully passed away in his sleep at his home in Rochester, New York on July 22, 2025.”
Mangione grew up in Rochester, graduating from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1958 and later receiving a Bachelor’s Degree from the Eastman School of Music in 1963 where he would later teach jazz and direct the Eastman Jazz Ensemble, later being awarded an honorary doctorate.
An inductee to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2012, Mangione began his career playing alongside pianist brother Gap Mangione in Jazz Brothers. Mangione’s father introduced both Gap and Chuck to jazz greats, among them, Dizzy Gillespie, who would become a family friend and would join the Mangione family for dinner when he was in Rochester, becoming one of Chuck’s greatest influences.
Chuck would later have a small recurring role on the animated show King of the Hill.
Tributes poured in for Mangione, including from Marc Iacona and John Nugent, co-producers of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, sharing with RochesterFirst.com, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Chuck Mangione, a legendary musician whose sound helped define a generation and whose roots run deep in Rochester. His music brought joy to millions, but for those of us who grew up here, Chuck was more than a global icon. He was one of our own. From the soaring flugelhorn melodies that made the world ‘Feel So Good’ to the countless ways he championed his hometown, Chuck’s influence was profound, personal, and lasting. Our thoughts are with his beloved brother Gap, with whom he shared not only the stage but a lifetime of musical magic. Chuck’s music will continue to echo through the hearts of fans near and far. His legacy will forever be a part of the spirit of Rochester and the soul of jazz.”
“Feels So Good” marked Mangione’s greatest commercial hit, rising to #4 on Billboard Hot 100.
In 1980, the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid called upon Mangione to write a theme song for the games, leading to “Give it All You Got,” a tune released a week before the games, that would chart as high as #1 on the Adult Contemporary, #18 on the Billboard 100 and #32 on the R&B chart, and recently named by Billboard as the #1 Olympics theme song of all time. Read more about the music of the 1980 Winter Olympics here.
Mangione leaves behind a lasting legacy of jazz and songs that span the ages. Rest in Peace, Chuck.
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