Professor Emeritus, Marvin "Doc" Holladay, music, world studies
April 8, 2025
It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the death of Professor Emeritus Marvin “Doc” Holladay, who passed away on November 25, 2024.
Dr. Holladay joined the Oakland University community in the College of Arts and Sciences on August 15, 1972. He was the Founder and Director of OU’s Jazz and World Music Studies programs and served as a Professor of Music until his retirement on August 15, 1988.
Outside the university, Dr. Holladay was a world renowned musician who performed and recorded with many jazz legends including Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Billy Eckstine, Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie. Aterward, he began to explore the African roots of jazz and developed a much wider interest in world music in general.
A Memorial Celebration for Dr. Holladay will be held at Oakland University on Sunday, June 22, 2025, at 3 p.m. in the Varner Recital Hall.
On behalf of the entire university community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Holladay family and friends during this very difficult time.
Sincerely,
Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D.
President