Joseph Leonard Bonner, known as Joe Bonner, and born on April 20, 1948, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, was a jazz pianist. He studied piano at Virginia State College after initially learning the tuba and moved to New York City in 1970 to begin his professional music career with Harold Vick. Bonner's first significant break came when he joined Max Roach's band before moving on to Roy Haynes' group as Chick Corea’s replacement. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he collaborated with notable jazz figures such as Freddie Hubbard, James Spaulding, and Pharoah Sanders. In 1972, he joined Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, replacing Roland Hanna. Bonner later moved to Denmark in the late 1970s, where he produced several albums for SteepleChase Records, including Parade (1979) and Devotion (1983). After returning to the United States, he settled in Denver. He continued to perform until his death on November 20, 2014.
