The gentle Smooth Jazz giant with the bass guitar is with us no more. Wayman Tisdale succumbed to cancer Friday morning at the age of 44 after battling the disease for two years.

Tisdale created a very successful second career as a musician after first becoming famous in the world of sports. The 6-foot-9 forward starred in basketball at the University of Oklahoma, earning All-America honors three times. He went on to play 12 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.