Hal Buice : Obituary

Harold (Hal) Lloyd Buice age 78 of the Oak Ridge Community of Ellijay passed from this life on Thursday, May 15th, 2014 at his residence. He was born March 26th, 1936 in Union Hill, GA., to his late parents Lloyd Cecil and Sina Marcella Garner Buice. Hal was a graduate of West Fulton High School in Atlanta, GA. He was a professional musician, who began playing piano professionally at the age of 17 and was long considered one of the top jazz pianists in the Atlanta area. He loved the standard classical repertoire but his first love and performance specialty was modern jazz. Hal studied the classics with Bill Johnson at Georgia State University, where he was a piano major, and later he studied Jazz with the legendary Fred Deland. Early in his career, Hal traveled to military service bases entertaining our troops in Alaska, Greenland, etc.

While in his home base of Atlanta, Georgia, he would be found entertaining at such well known establishments as the Domino Lounge, the Clovis Club (Glen Iris Supper Club), the Atlanta Playboy Club (house pianist for four years), Pano’s and Paul’s, 103 West, Tom Tom’s and the Capitol City Club, to name a few. Credits also include Musical Director for the Don Barber Show and casting pianist for the Broadway production “Hair”. His style was well known as hard swinging and musically intelligent , and he was once described by Around Atlanta Magazine in June of 1973 as “animated, good humored and musically ‘with it’.”

Over the years, Hal was a valued member of many touring bands and jazz combos, as well as the leader of the Buice Squad and the Hal Buice Trio. He was always in demand as a “sideman” when his schedule as a leader and soloist permitted. Additionally, Hal was a booking agent for the Atlanta Federation of Musicians Union office for a time. Later, he founded Hal Buice Entertainment, a full service entertainment agency specializing in live entertainment for private and corporate events. The music scene in Atlanta has lost a one of a kind, exceptional talent.

A Memorial Service will take place at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, May 18th, 2014 in the Logan Funeral Home Pavilion. Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Michelle & Kenneth Warren of Ellijay, GA.; grandchildren Karlyn Taylor, Keri Austin, Mackenzie Austin, Tyler Austin, Christina Mosley, Taylor Black, Chad Hinson, Charles Hinson; great grandchildren Dominic Mosley, and Isabella Black.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Homeward Bound Pet Rescue, P.O. Box 792, Ellijay, Ga. 30540, in memory of Hal Buice.

Logan Funeral Home and Chapel in Ellijay, GA in charge of arrangements