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Jane Little, a bassist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, collapsed onstage Sunday afternoon and died soon after in a local hospital. She joined the ASO Youth Orchestra at 16, moved up to the Symphony, and remained in the same orchestra and organization for 71 years, a world record according to the Guinness Book. She was 87.

Mrs. Little was onstage performing "There's No Business Like Show Business" when she collapsed. She was married 41 years to Warren Little, ASO principal flutist, until his death.

It was remarkable for an 87-year-old to stand up under the physical demands of playing string bass in an orchestra, especially since she was 4'-11".

http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/entertainment/ ... -at/nrNYZ/

I certainly hope I'm playing tuba 71 years into it....

Quite the accomplishment. Playing the bass must have been the thing she really, really wanted to do. Could be a worse way to go...

I had the privilege of getting to know both Warren and Jane during my time as an officer in AFM Local 248 during our Florida-Georgia conferences in Atlanta when Warren was the Atlanta Local president.
Great musicians and great people and Jane was a real trouper all the way.
Mark Heter