Tom Coppola

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title: "Tom Coppola" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1945-births", "2023-deaths", "usc-thornton-school-of-music-alumni", "university-of-north-carolina-at-asheville-faculty", "american-jazz-musicians", "american-people-of-italian-descent"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Coppola" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameTom Coppola
backgroundnon_vocal_instrumentalist
birth_nameThomas Wilkinson Coppola
birth_date
death_date
genre
occupationPianist
Composer
Arranger
instrumentPiano
labelColumbia
past_member_ofAir
::

| name = Tom Coppola | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = Thomas Wilkinson Coppola | birth_date = | death_date = | genre = | occupation = Pianist Composer Arranger | instrument = Piano | label = Columbia | past_member_of = Air Thomas Wilkinson Coppola (June 6, 1945 - December 29, 2023) was a pianist, composer and arranger, known for being a principal member of the group Air. He also formed Evans and Coppola with vocalist Lucianne Evans and performed with the Tom Coppola Trio.

Tom Coppola began working as a musician in Manhattan in the 1960s, where he met Carolyn Brooks (soon to become Googie Coppola) and Air was formed. Air's self-titled first album was released in 1971. The band's best known album, Shine the Light of Love was released in 1980. Subsequently, the group went on permanent hiatus.

He worked for NBC as a music producer on Saturday Night Live from 1984 to 1990. In 1991 Coppola went to the University of Southern California to study jazz. He later moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where he performed in several groups, including Evans & Coppola and the Tom Coppola Trio, and taught in the music department at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Coppolla was also associated with musicians Herbie Mann. Lenny White, Bobby Matos, and Chick Corea.

He died on December 29, 2023.

Publications

References

References

  1. [https://www.local802afm.org/allegro/articles/tom-coppola/]. Obituary for Tom Coppola from Allegro magazine (NYC musicians' union Local 802), February 2024
  2. Cary Ginell. (1 March 2014). "The Evolution of Mann: Herbie Mann and the Flute in Jazz". Hal Leonard.
  3. (22 May 1971). "Special Merit Picks". Nielsen Business Media.
  4. (July 1971). "Records in review". Audiocom.
  5. (1980). "Sepia". Sepia Publishing Corporation.
  6. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-05-10.pdf "On Jazz: Vinyl Pipeline"]. ''Cashbox'', May 10, 1980. page 32.
  7. "Jazz Duo Evans & Coppola Bring Brazilian Beats To Blowing Rock". ''The Mountain Times'', May 15, 2003 by Jeff Eason. Archived at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20041228062920/http://mountaintimes.com/mtweekly/2003/0515/brjs.php3 Wayback Machine]
  8. [http://www.unca.edu/music/jazz/coppola.html UNCA Jazz Studies] {{webarchive. link. (2010-06-10)
  9. "Jazz Passings".

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1945-births2023-deathsusc-thornton-school-of-music-alumniuniversity-of-north-carolina-at-asheville-facultyamerican-jazz-musiciansamerican-people-of-italian-descent