Liz Diamond, a jazz singer and 30-year resident of the East Village where she was a familiar figure with her waist-length white hair, died on Jan. 21, at her E. Ninth St. home at the age of 79.
She suffered from emphysema for several years, according to a friend, James Thomas.
She came to Greenwich Village from Brooklyn 50 years ago to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, according to her daughter, Robin Lynn. “Liz moved to the East Village 30 years ago, when the bohemian lifestyle in the Village had been replaced by more middle-class virtues,” Lynn said. “Liz continued to sing in the small East Village clubs, Yaffa Cafe on St. Mark’s and the C Note on Avenue B. She often sang in Tompkins Square Park at the jazz festivals — sometimes she’d just bring her guitar and sing along. Liz also sang at the jazz vespers at St. Peter’s Church on Lexington Ave. and at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery,” Lynn added.
An iconic figure, Liz Diamond got around the East Village on a scooter. “Liz had the capacity to see beyond the ordinary and found something special to love in all people, especially those seen as ‘different.’ She loved life and could make any occasion seem like a wonderful adventure,” Lynn said.
In addition to her daughter Robin Lynn, another daughter, Toni Ellen Diamond, and a grandson, Garth Steel Nanni, also survive.
A memorial service was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wed. Feb. 15 at Trinity Lutheran Parish, E. Ninth St. at Avenue B.
