Jazz music legend with Dr Dre connection Les McCann dies at 88

 Soulful jazz music legend Les McCann, who has been sampled by hundreds of hip-hop artists including Dr Dre, has died aged 88.

The musician released more than 60 albums throughout his career and was a source of inspiration for the likes of Notorious Big, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.

McCann died after he was hospitalised in LA with pneumonia on Friday (December 29), his manager Alan Abrahams confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

After winng a singing contest while in the US Navy, which led to an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, McCann began his music career in the 1960s.

He gained wide recognition after releasing album Swiss Movement, which was recorded with saxophonist Eddie Harris and trumpeter Benny Bailey at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

The album featured the song Compared to What, which reached the Billboard Charts and has since been covered by more than 270 performers, including Ray Charles.