Fred Ho: Baritone Saxophonist, Composer and Activist Dies at 56

Fred Ho was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. Born Fred Wei-han Houn on August 10, 1957, in Palo Alto, California, he grew up in Massachusetts.

He was a pioneer in combining Asian and African-American musical traditions, including the first jazz opera in Chinese opera form. He also won a 1996 American Book Award and led the Afro Asian Music Ensemble.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2006 and wrote about his fight with the disease. Ho died at his home in Brooklyn, New York, on April 12, 2014, at age 56.

Achievements: American Book Award (1996).

Birth: August 10, 1957 - Palo Alto, California.

Profession: Musician and activist.

Interesting Facts: He was a Marxist activist.